Jugal Kishore cranks up bureaucracy to show interest in Purmandal Tourism circuit

Div Com Jammu visits site, inspects development works

Following a series carried by The News Now regarding inordinate delays in facelifting work of Purmandal-Uttar Behni tourism circuit, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Member of Parliament, and Dr Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, are enquiring about the present status of work.

In this connection, Jugal Kishore has dialled up several bureaucrats, while Dr Langer today visited the site in Samba to inspect the ongoing development works and also listened to the grievances of local people. However, it remains to be seen if this activism results in the approval of much vaunted project under PRASAD scheme from Ministry of Tourism.

The Divisional Commissioner, accompanied by Anuradha Gupta, Deputy Commissioner Samba, took appraisal of various development works undertaken to rejuvenate, restore and renovate the Purmandal Tourism Circuit.

The Div Com was appraised of the present status of development works including construction of main approach road from Purmandal river Bridge to Main Shiv Temple, reconstruction and renovation of Sarai, temple and Bowli within the main temple premises, construction of pathways, bathing Ghats, tourist facilitation centre, development of viewpoints, besides landscaping, illumination, LED walls and other upgradation works.

It may be mentioned here that The News Now had recently published a series of stories titled ‘Jammu Tourism Dept – A sordid saga of incompetence’, which highlighted that revered shrines of Purmandal-Uttarbehni were poised for development and inclusion in the tourism circuit of Jammu province in 2015-16. But the political and government apathy dashed those hopes. Then, a second attempt was made by CEO SMDA in 2018, which remained only on papers.

Read: Jammu Tourism Dept – A sordid saga of incompetence (I)

Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State for Tourism’s stress for development of Purmandal-UttarBehni under Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme, during his visit to Jammu in 2019, is the third attempt. The execution is yet to take off, as Directorate of Tourism Jammu ‘aches’ for nod from Ministry of Tourism after one and a half year of DPR submission.

The Divisional commissioner, during the inspection of 500mtrs long main approach road from bridge to temple, directed the Executive Engineer PWD Dept to expedite the pending earth works including cutting, filing, construction of RCC retention wall, drainage. He further asked to resolve the matter related to compensation and widening of road under the foot bridge strictly following the government standing orders.

Read: Jammu Tourism Dept – A sordid saga of incompetence (II)

He also laid emphasis upon ensuring meeting the aspiration of local public and accordingly bringing changes in the development projects.

He directed executing agencies to expedite the pace of ongoing work for their timely completion. DC Samba was instructed to personally monitor the implementation of all the development work.

Later, the Divisional Commissioner also held a public grievance camp and listened to the local public demands. The locals demanded improvement of major and minor roads, augmentation of power supply scenario, supply of clean and hygienic drinking water and issues pertaining to Dharmarth Trust, facility of waiting rooms, washing rooms, toilets, and others. The Div com issued directions to the concerned district officers for redressing the same and stressed on holding regular grievance redress camps, especially in the remote areas of the district.

Additional District Development Commissioner Tilak Raj Shastri; Assistant Commissioner Development Sidharath Dhiman; Project Officer IWMP, Executive Engineers of PWD, PDD & Jal Shakti, besides representatives from Tourism and other officers were also present.

Also: Read my article at The News Now