SRINAGAR — Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for reopening 14 tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir, including Asia’s largest Tulip Garden, which had been closed following the Pahalgam terror attack last year.
Abdullah said he had raised the issue during his recent meetings with the home minister in Jammu and New Delhi, urging that there was no purpose in keeping the destinations shut as they had remained open even during the worst of times.
He said he was assured that the places would be reopened and that orders to this effect have now been issued.
The chief minister added that local residents dependent on tourism had suffered losses due to the closure and expressed hope that visitors would now return to these beautiful places.
The lieutenant governor on Monday ordered the reopening of 11 tourist destinations in Kashmir and three in the Jammu region.
Among the reopened places is the Tulip Garden on the banks of Dal Lake, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. Other destinations in the Kashmir division include Yousmarg, Doodhpathri, Dandipora Park in Kokernag, Peer Ki Gali, Dubjan and Padpawan in Shopian, Astanpora, Thajwas Glacier, Hung Park in Ganderbal, and Wullar and Watlab in Baramulla.
These were among over 80 places closed in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack last year, which left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.
Responding to controversial remarks made by BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa, Abdullah said the truth had prevailed, claiming that a case had been registered against Randhawa for allegedly occupying government land.
Randhawa had earlier alleged that a majority of illegal occupants of Jammu Development Authority land were Kashmiris, a claim that later sparked controversy after it emerged that he himself was facing allegations of illegal land occupation.
Abdullah alleged that there is often a gap between the words and deeds of BJP leaders, saying they speak about Jammu and Kashmir but fail to match their actions. Citing the example of Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Ali Khatana, Abdullah alleged that while he represents J&K, 90 percent of his MPLAD funds was spent in Uttar Pradesh.
Asked about electricity supply during the month of Ramzan, the chief minister said he would chair a review meeting to assess arrangements and ensure minimal inconvenience to the public during the fasting month.
On protests by daily wagers, Abdullah said there was no need for street demonstrations as the government had already announced in the Assembly that they would be regularised this year through a time-bound process.
He urged them not to be influenced for political reasons and said the government remained committed to resolving their issues through dialogue, adding that around 66,000 daily wagers have already been verified for regularisation. — (PTI)