STATE TIMES NEWS
SURINSAR: Emphasising huge potential of Surinsar Lake as premier tourism destination of Jammu region, National Conference Provincial President and MLA Nagrota, Devender Singh Rana on Monday sought time bound and holistic infrastructural development around its banks and in the periphery.
“Focus should be on development of Surinsar as an ultimate gateway and week-end destination for the people the capital city and huge number of Mata Vaishno Devi bound pilgrims, thronging 24X7 365 days from across the country”, Rana said while kick-starting machmadisation of the circular road around the lake this afternoon.
The MLA Nagrota seized the opportunity to emphasise upon line-departments and the engineering wings for expediting work on fixing lights around the Surinsar Lake, making available adequate number of pedal boats and raising state-of- art infrastructural facilities. He said the area has immense potential to attract nature lovers and holidayers, especially those from Jammu city and its peripheries as the region is hugely lacking hangout destinations. For incentivizing tourists, modern facilities will have to be created, he said, adding that he will continue to work towards this end.
Rana said the famous water body can be developed as a tourist destination of pride, provided sincere efforts are made by the government in the larger interest of people. Alongside its development, he said a promotional campaign will also have to be launched to put Surinsar on the tourism map of Jammu and Kashmir.
The MLA Nagrota said that development of Surinsar as a prime tourist destination will give economic fillip in the area. He said the youth of Nagrota constituency can benefit in a big way in terms of setting up restaurants, food jaunts, kiosks etc. He hoped that all necessary measures would be taken to achieve the objective of enhancing tourism activity in the area.
Interacting with the people present on the occasion, Rana said that he has been endeavouring to make the lake as hub of tourism and economic activities. In this regard he referred to the kite-festival in Surinsar and off-road motor-race in Aithem, which emerged as big events and attracted large crowds. “These successful events firmed up my resolve to seek a befitting place for Nagrota Constituency in tourism sector”, he maintained. About mechadimisation, the MLA said that he is in constant touch with the concerned engineering department for having road-network smooth and traffic-worthy by way of upgradation and improvements wherever required.
