Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo, today chaired a meeting to review various issues pertaining to overall development of DH Pora Constituency.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Kulgam, Athar Aamir ul Shafi Khan; Chief Engineer KPDCL; Joint Director Tourism Kashmir; Executive Engineers of PHE and PDD of Kulgam district, CMO Kulgam and other district officers.
During the meeting, the Minister took stock of various issues pertaining to DH Pora Constituency. She also discussed tourism-related projects and identification of unexplored scenic spots in DH Pora belt.
The Minister emphasized upon the officers to tap the tourism potential of DH Pora and its surrounding areas like Aharbal, Kongwattan, Kounsarnag and Panchan Pathri areas, known for their pristine beauty, rich biodiversity and trekking routes. She called for exploring the area Panchan Pathri for developing trekking trails and other adventure tourism related activities.
The Minister asked the officers to conduct capacity building and training of local youth in tourism related aspects like tourist guides, home stays, eco-tourism and other associated areas. She stressed on promoting eco-tourism, heritage trails and rural homestays, in collaboration with local youth and community stakeholders. “Tourism can become a strong pillar for economic upliftment and employment generation for this region if developed sustainably,” she asserted .
She called on the officers to look feasibility for developing Paragliding, Zip line, Hot Air balloon and other recreational amenities in the area.
The Minister also called for improved sanitation facilities, wayfinding signage, mobile connectivity and safety measures to encourage longer tourist stays and a more fulfilling visitor experience. She asked for developing the parking places in key tourist destinations of DH Pora Constituency and installing signages for facilitation of visitors.
During the meeting, the Minister also took stock of issues related to electricity and other essential sectors in the district. She directed the Chief Engineer KPDCL to look out for the issue of inflated electricity bills in various far flung areas of DH Pora Constituency.