3 yrs on, Jhajjar Kotli growth projects remain incomplete

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 22

Jhajjar Kotli, a famous tourist destination with a freshwater stream, continues to remain in a shambles due to the tourism department’s causal approach as projects sanctioned under the Prime Minister’s Development Programme in 2015 either face red tape or have failed to take off.

Over the years, Jhajjar Kotli, about 35 km from Jammu, has turned out to be the favourite destination for locals and tourists who prefer it for an outing or picnic on weekends. However, the bad condition and poor maintenance of the spot forces visitors to think twice before planning a trip to the area. Moreover, the road connecting Domail to Jhajjar Kotli has been lying in a dilapidated condition.

Sources said the miserable condition of the tourist destination could be gauged from the poor condition of the road, littered parks, broken stairs and grills and absence of clean washrooms.

“The area has been completely ignored by the tourism department. Officials are yet to execute the developmental projects sanctioned for this place about three years ago. The shabby condition of the area has affected the business of local dhabas and other shopkeepers,” said a dhaba owner at Jhajjar Kotli.

He said the place had a lot of tourist potential but it needed a major facelift. “Visitors always complain about the pathetic condition of the area. The state’s approach to develop it as a tourist destination has remained casual so far,” the dhaba owner added.

Following a complaint to Governor NN Vohra, the tourism department in a reply to the state grievance cell recently admitted that the projects sanctioned under the programme were either in the tendering stage or could not take off. The Governor had sought a report from the department.

“Various works to facilitate tourists have been undertaken with a sanctioned cost of Rs 7.10 crore under the PM’s Development Programme,” the department said.

It said at least 70 tourist benches were being installed. “Ninty percent work on a parking lot, to come up at an estimated cost of Rs 87.8 lakh, having a retaining wall has also been completed. Various other components to facilitate the tourists viz. water sports, canoeing and kayaking have been identified and are in the tendering stage,” the department said.

Regarding the bad condition of the road from Domail to Jhajjar Kotli, the department said it was maintained by the Beacon or the public works department authorities in the past before it came under the National Highways Authority of India. “The issue pertains to the said authorities,” it added.