STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday ordered review of the cases filed against the youths who were not involved in “serious crimes” during the over five-month-long unrest in the Valley.
An official spokesman said Mehbooba gave directions in this regard at a meeting called to review the pace of development works in south Kashmir.
Apart from her Cabinet colleagues, many senior officers from police and civil administration were present in the meeting.
“Though not many youths are in custody now, a lenient view may be taken of youths who were either not involved in any serious offence, or were too young,” the spokesman said quoting Mehbooba.
The Valley had witnessed violent protest after killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister impressed upon the officers to be responsive to the winter-specific needs of people in the Valley, particularly in sectors like power and water supply, firewood and fuel availability and ration, the spokesman said.
She asked engineers of Power Development Department to rationalise their resources to address frequent power cuts during winters.
Mehbooba also reviewed the stock and supply position of essential commodities like fuel, ration etc in the district and directed their regular augmentation.
She directed the officers to keep tempo of developmental works on and double their efforts to make up for the lost time.
She said though a good time of working season got lost this year, efforts should be made to make up by taking up and completing the works within or ahead of schedule.
The meeting was told work on several key development projects in the district is apace, including a 300-bed district hospital, Trauma Hospital at Bijbehara, degree colleges at Kokernag and Uttersoo, Pushwara bridge, polytechnic college at Larkipora, besides eight major bridges which are in various stages of completion.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the meeting Hall in the Dak Bungalow complex. Built at a cost of Rs 4.88 crore, the meeting hall is first-of-its-kind in south Kashmir.
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation of Khanabal-Batapora road to be constructed by the Department of Disaster Management, the spokesman said.
Earlier in Srinagar, Mehbooba Mufti said, while talking to tour operators, her government was making efforts to create a world-class tourist infrastructure.
“Tourism promotes people-to-people contact and tourists become goodwill ambassadors of a place. Like the maxim ‘seeing is believing’, a tourist can testify the veracity of the claim about a place only after visiting it,” she said.
She dismissed the notion that the state was unsafe for tourists in the aftermath of months-long unrest in the Valley.
“Jammu and Kashmir is as safe for tourists, particularly women, as any other place in the country,” she said.
Mehbooba said her government plans to create a world-class tourism infrastructure in the state.
“Road connectivity to tourist destinations, bed capacity at tourist spots, wayside facilities etc are being improved and upgraded to address the requirements of every segment of tourists. Theme-based parks and places are being added to provide variety of attraction to tourists.
“Similarly, heritage lovers and trekkers would be having more spots and treks to visit by adding new heritage sites and routes to their check list,” the chief minister said.
Every region in the state has a unique attraction for tourists and they should be promoted, she said.
The state’s tourism department has organised a three-day familiarisation tour to the Valley for travel agents from Bangalore, Mumbai, Gujarat and Indore.
Speaking at the interactive session, Secretary Tourism Farooq A Shah who was the chief guest on the occasion said Kashmir is the safest place for tourists not only in India but in the whole world.
Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah, Deputy Director Tourism (Publicity) Peerzada Zahoor besides travel trade fraternity were present on the occasion.
“The familiarisation tour would convince and encourage the travel agents to attract a good tourist influx to Valley,” said Shah.
The travel agents pitched for point-to-point rail service from Mumbai, Gujarat and Kolkata to the Valley to facilitate tourists visit Kashmir conveniently.
The travel agents also advocated subsidy in the aviation fuel charges which would decrease the air fare.
The agents, who arrived here on Saturday, pitched for point- to-point rail services from Mumbai, Gujarat and Kolkata to the Valley to facilitate the travel of tourists to Kashmir, and sought subsidy in aviation fuel charges to bring down air fares.
