STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Expressing grave concern and resentment over the sudden decision of the State Government to abandon the Artificial Lake Project on Tawi River with a single stroke of pen, All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association (AJHLA) has taken strong notice of Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh’s statement and termed it as another blow on the face of Jammu tourism after rail link extension to Katra during 2014 as the commissioning of this prestigious project was a historic milestone for Jammu to become an independent tourist destination.
Addressing media persons here, President Pawan Gupta said that Jammu tourism which is already on ventilator due to enormous reasons including failure of Amarnath Yatra year after year, continuous turmoil and unrest in Kashmir Valley and lack of wide publicity causing a great setback to Jammu economy putting at stake the future livelihood of more than five lakh tourism dependent souls who did believe that commissioning of Tawi Lake Project would change their fate and environs.
Giving a brief about the Tawi Lake project, Gupta said the project was started by the previous Govt during 2010 with completion aimed at 2013.
“It will be worthwhile to mention that the previous government started the work on the Artificial Lake Project on Tawi River in 2010 after thorough study by different agencies and departments, proper preparation of DPR, its approval and technical sanction as required under law and procedure, even the project of Tawi River was cleared by the Pakistan Government under Indus Water Treaty,” he said.
“Astonishing to say that the then Chief Minister late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh’s statement on abandoning the project are not based on the technical grounds but on political vendetta,” he added.
Abandoning an old project, which has already been completed by 80 per cent at the cost of Rs 87 crore spent merely on the political grounds which amounts to the fact to deprive Jammu from artificial lake, he stated.
“It is crystal clear that there is a political power, which is hell bent to divest the Jammuites of their aspiration of dream project of Artifical Lake,” Gupta asserted.
Expressing anguish and anxiety over the snatching of Artificial Lake Project from Jammuites, AJHLA is of the firm view that Jammu would not tolerate any attempt of dumping their dream project on Tawi Lake at any cost because people’s aspirations are attached to it. He further exhorted that in case of dumping of said project the people of Jammu will come on streets for agitation and the Coalition Government shall be responsible for it.
Others who were present in the press conference included Inderjeet Khajuria, H.S Manhas, Baldev Raj, Pritam Sharma, Anil Khajuria, Nishant Gupta, Swaran Singh, Manpreet Singh, Suni Suri and M.L Sharma.
