Centre provided assistance for tourism projects in J&K: Shekhawat

New Delhi, Mar 9: The Union Ministry of Tourism on Monday informed the Lok Sabha that development and promotion of tourism is primarily the responsibility of the concerned State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, while the Centre provides financial assistance under various schemes.
Replying to an unstarred question raised by MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the Government of India supports tourism infrastructure development through schemes such as Swadesh Darshan, Swadesh Darshan 2.0, Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) and PRASHAD.
He said the assistance is provided to States and UTs based on project proposals received from them, subject to scheme guidelines, government directions, availability of funds and priority considerations.
The minister also informed the House that under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) – Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale, projects have been sanctioned across the country in the financial year 2024–25 with the aim of comprehensive development, branding and global promotion of iconic tourist destinations.
According to the details placed before the House, several tourism projects have been sanctioned earlier for Jammu and Kashmir under the Swadesh Darshan Himalayan Circuit (2016-17).
These include development of the Jammu–Srinagar–Pahalgam–Bhagwati Nagar–Anantnag–Salamabad–Uri–Kargil–Leh circuit with an allocation of Rs 77.33 crore.
Similarly, development of tourist facilities at Jammu–Rajouri–Shopian–Pulwama was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 81.60 crore, while another project for construction of tourism assets destroyed in the 2014 floods under the PM Development Package was approved with an allocation of Rs 90.43 crore.
The Centre also sanctioned Rs 91.99 crore for development of tourist facilities at Mantalai and Sudhmahadev and Rs 86.39 crore for tourism infrastructure across Anantnag–Pulwama–Kishtwar–Pahalgam–Zanskar–Padum–Daksum–Ranjit Sagar Dam.
Another project for development of tourist facilities in Gulmarg–Baramulla–Kupwara–Kargil–Leh was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 91.84 crore.
For Ladakh, the government sanctioned projects including development of Julley Leh Biodiversity Park experience in Leh with a cost of Rs 23.17 crore and Exploring LoC and Hundarman Village Experience in Kargil with an allocation of Rs 11.91 crore.
The Minister said the detailed list of projects sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan, Swadesh Darshan 2.0, CBDD, SASCI and PRASHAD schemes, including those in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, has been annexed with the reply. (KNO)