Discrimination with Jammu

Crores for Dal, Wullar, peanuts for Mansar, Suransar

 Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, June 16: While central government has sanctioned crores of rupees for the development and protecting the Dal  and Wullar lake, but meagre amount has been spent for the safeguarding the Mansar and Suransar lake.

According to the sources the government has approved Rs 1,100 crore, for the Dal Lake and Rs 386 crore for the Wullar Lake whereas only Rs 5 crore each for conservation and development of Suransar lake, and Mansar Lake.

Government seems to have closed its eyes towards the plight of these water bodies which could become one of the major tourist attractions in the state.

Sources also said that the government has turned close eyes towards the tourist resorts of the Jammu region and intentional non-projection of demands with respect to their development.

They added that the matter of development of tourist infrastructure at the Mansar and Surinsar Lakes were also taken up with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and he had written to the state government to have the Mansar and Surinsar Lakes included within the purview of the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority.

“But the state government didn’t comply even with the directions of the Prime Minister and chose to ignore the two lakes from the purview of the said authority” said sources.

When contacted Director Tourism, Jammu R S Mehta said the funds for Mansar and Surinsar Lakes are only for maintenance of the area around the lakes where as in Srinagar the government is providing funds for the conservation and maintenance of the lake as well as area around the lakes.

Mehta further said that there is no such proposal to increase the funds for the Jammu lakes.