LEH: The three-day annual Ladakh Singhey Khababs Sindhu Festival 2015 was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Friday.
Describing Sindh as fountainhead of one of the world’s oldest civilizations, Mufti, asserted that Ladakh’s identity as a great seat of Buddhist Culture will be showcased before the world.
He said he favoured opening of more trading points in Ladakh, as has been done in the case of Sikkim.
Urging not to put tourism at loggerheads with environment, he also described Ladakh as an adventurer’s delight, which offers vistas in mountaineering, trekking and river-rafting. “The biggest attraction though remains the great Buddhist Culture living in its monasteries, which continue to mesmerise visitors from across the country and abroad,” he added.
The Chief Minister said he would like Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ladakh when he plans his next tour to Jammu & Kashmir state.
Leh is scheduled to host Mega Hemis Mela next year in which nearly two lakh visitors from 76 foreign countries are expected to participate.
Assuring the expansion of Leh Airport, the Chief Minsiter said, “My first priority will be the expansion of the airport so that maximum number of flight could be operated”.
Mufti added that “Ever since the new government took over we have been stressing on promotion of tourism sector to boost economy of our state. Jammu is the pilgrimage destination of our country, Kashmir is known for its nature and leisure tourism and Ladakh on the other hand is for ideal and adventure tourism, tourism industry contributes 60 per cent of Ladkh’s GDP which provides enormous employment and business opportunities to local populace, so government at both centre and state level has taken several initiatives to promote tourism Ladakh in particular and our state in general”.
The CM said that he recently talked to president of Indian Mountaineering Foundation to explore the potential of Ladakh in mountaineering and trekking expedition and he assured to declare Ladakh as the major mountaineering destination in the country. Mufti informed that Central Government had taken several steps like construction of golf course at estimated cost of R 34 Cr. Trans Himalayan cultural centre at Rs 22 cr, two new tourist centres at Rs 7 cr. Convention complex at Rs 12 cr without compromising on conservation and protection of the environment to promote in Ladakh. He also assured to open the Kailash Mansorover road from Ladakh.
While welcoming the guests Executive Councillor for Tourism LAHDC Leh, Mohammad Shafi Lassu addressed several issues related to the promotion of tourism in Ladakh.
He said that tourism is the backbone of Ladakhi economy but issues like high airfare and shortage of frequency of regular flights affects the tourists visiting Leh. He informed that there used to be regular 14 flights operating but presently hardly four to six flights are operating regularly. He stressed and appealed to the Chief Minister to strongly take up the issue with concern higher authorities and the centre government to reduce the sky rocketing airfare and to provide charter flights from Srinagar and Jammu to Leh.
Expressing the similar view Minister for Cooperative, Tsering Dorjay Lakrook said that the sole purpose of organising this festival is to promote tourism, create communal harmony among different faiths and national integration. He informed that the main obstacle in promoting tourism in Ladakh is the lack of connectivity as the main entrance to Ladakh, Zojila in Srinagar-Leh and Rohtang Pass in Leh-Manali remained closed for half of the year leaving only option to reach Ladakh via air. He said because of high demand and low number of flights it became the monopoly of only three flight operator viz Air India, Go Air and Jet thus resulted in the high airfare.
Stressing the need to increase the frequency of regular flights to and from Leh and the need for expansion of airport, CEC Rigzin Spalbar said that the high airfare does dot only affect tourism but it also creates huge problems for local pilgrims.
Earlier the CM also inaugurated the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) which is constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 60 lakh funded by the Commissioner Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Govt of J and K and run by the Ladakh Development Authority. This world class digitalised with online system TIC will offer a single window system to provide information and issue of inner line permit to domestic and overseas tourist. He stressed to open such TICs at other tourist destination places across state.
Chief Executive Councillor LAHDC Leh, Rigzin Spalbar, Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar, Minister for Revenue, Javaid Mustafa Mir, Minister for Cooperative, Tsering Dorjay, Member Parliament Thupstan Chhewang, Principal Secretary Planning and Ladakh Affairs, B.R Sharma, Commissioner Secretary Tourism and Culture, Shailendra Kumar, MLA Nubra Deldan Namgail, DC Leh, Saugat Biswas and SSP Leh Dr. Sunil Gupta were the dignitaries present on this occasion.