STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Tuesday chaired two separate high-level meetings to review initiatives undertaken by the Union Territory administration for the promotion of eco-tourism and the commercial cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP) across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting on eco-tourism was attended by the Commissioner Secretary, Forests; Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF); Chief Wildlife Warden; Managing Director, Forest Development Corporation (FDC); Director, Remote Sensing, along with other senior officers of the Forest Department.
During the deliberations, the CS emphasised the need for a comprehensive, well-planned and integrated approach to eco-tourism development. He advised the department to identify destinations capable of offering multiple eco-tourism activities so that visitors can choose experiences based on their interests and length of stay, thereby improving both visitor satisfaction and economic returns.
The role of the Forest Development Corporation in strengthening eco-tourism infrastructure and services was discussed in detail. PCCF Suresh Kumar Gupta highlighted successful eco-tourism models adopted in other states, including the Ranjit Sagar Lake initiative in Punjab and similar projects in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. These models, he said, were examined for possible replication in Jammu and Kashmir after suitable local adaptation.
Commissioner Secretary, Forests, Sheetal Nanda observed that the eco-tourism initiative is still at a formative stage and offers significant scope for improvement in planning, institutionalisation and execution. She underlined that the initiative seeks sustainable utilisation of the region’s rich natural resources while ensuring conservation of forests and wildlife. She also stressed the importance of community participation, livelihood generation and preservation of local culture as key pillars of eco-tourism development.
It was informed that the eco-tourism initiative is expected to generate substantial employment and livelihood opportunities, particularly for rural and forest-dependent communities. The initiative also aims to promote high-quality, high-value eco-tourism and establish a trusted eco-tourism brand, positioning Jammu and Kashmir as a leading sustainable tourism destination.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary also rolled out the mobile application ‘e-Bahak’, developed by BISAG-N, for online grant of grazing permissions to nomadic pastoral communities of Jammu and Kashmir. The trilingual application, available in Hindi, English and Urdu, is fully digital with an integrated payment gateway, eliminating manual intervention
Later in the day, the Chief Secretary chaired another meeting to discuss strategies for promoting the commercial cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants across the Union Territory. He called for a clear vision plan with well-defined objectives, prepared in consultation with market stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies. He directed that commercial cultivation should begin with a few popular and locally suitable MAP varieties, followed by gradual diversification after the development of scientific packages of practices.
Emphasising collaboration with research institutions such as SKUAST and CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, he stressed the need for time-bound milestones, development of processing facilities and dissemination of advanced knowledge and infrastructure support. Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Shailendra Kumar, highlighted that farmers’ profitability must remain the core objective of the strategy, while Vice Chancellors of SKUAST Jammu and Kashmir and the Director of CSIR-IIIM outlined their respective roles in scaling up MAP cultivation across Jammu and Kashmir.