Trade Facilitation Centre can drive border tourism; LoC sightseeing, amenities, local jobs our focus: Director Tourism Kashmir
Srinagar: Seven years after the Centre suspended cross-LoC trade through Salamabad in Uri, the Trade Facilitation Centre is set to get a new role, with the Tourism Department planning to utilise the facility for promoting border tourism in North Kashmir.
According to the details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) the department has received the green signal to take over the Trade Facilitation Centre, along with the assets and facilities available there, for tourism-related activities and promotion of border tourism.
Director Tourism Kashmir, Syed Qamar Sajjad told KNO that the proposal has been approved and said the move reflects the government’s focus on reviving tourism in Kashmir, particularly in border areas.
He said the department will focus on developing facilities and amenities for tourists and coordinate with other agencies to ensure hassle-free movement of visitors and facilitate LoC sightseeing.
The department will also assess the existing infrastructure and decide how the asset can be put to optimum use, the director said, adding that the plan is expected to create employment opportunities for local youth and support tourism-related economic activity in the LoC villages.
Pertinently, the Salamabad facility was originally established as one of the two Trade Facilitation Centres for cross-LoC trade, the other being at Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch. Cross-LoC trade between the two parts of Jammu and Kashmir began on October 21, 2008, as a confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan.
The trade operated four days a week on a barter and zero-duty basis. It was intended to facilitate the exchange of goods of common use between people living on both sides of the LoC.
However, it came to an end in April 2019 after the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended cross-LoC trade at Salamabad and Chakan-da-Bagh, citing reports that the routes were being misused for the movement of illegal weapons, narcotics, fake currency and other activities.
Now, the Tourism Department plans to put the government asset to a different use.
The proposed tourism utilisation is expected to focus on visitor amenities, border tourism activities and facilitation for tourists visiting the Uri sector and nearby LoC viewpoints.
Officials said the department will work out the detailed utilisation plan in the coming days, including the available facilities and the scope for creating livelihood opportunities for local residents.
