Vohra says promote water sports, plan for Ranjit Sagar dam abandoned

Vohra says promote water sports, plan for Ranjit Sagar dam abandoned

Yash Khajuria

Jammu, Aug 22: At that time when N. N. Vohra, Governor himself stressed the vital consequence of promoting watermanship among youth and involving them in various  water sports activities to optimally benefit from existing nature’s bounty in the state.

On the same time the highly anticipated project to develop Ranjit Sagar Dam as a water sports spot which includes nearly seven activities as recommended in the survey report by the National Institute of Water Sports Goa, has remained a dream unfulfilled due to the apathetic attitude of the government.

Pertinent to mention here that, despite being lucrative for the water sports activities this place which has been honored with a special Art gallery at London “Basholi Art Gallery” in which paintings and Pashmina Shawl of the area are being preserved by the foreigners” is deprived to be groomed either a water sport spot or a tourist spot.

It was supposed to be developed as biggest water sports facility in Jammu and Kashmir, but the project has failed, with no further concern has been dropped by any of the departments.

Jagdish Raj Sapolia, MLA from the area said that the area is an absolute place to be developed water sports spot as it was tabled to the government by the Surveying agencies. “Despite being lucrative from the sports point of view the area including 23 kilometer of lake stretch, have enriched amount of environment and potential to attract tourist across the country but the government as per its discriminatory attitude towards Jammu is not interested to develop such sports in the province and steps are not been initiated towards this exercise.

Over this concern, when contacted to the Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora said that the Government has offered tender notice for couple of times for the said project but unfortunately nobody has shown interest for the developmental practice at that place.

 What are the reasons that government did not get any positive response over the project?

“Besides government is always there to promote the tourism and culture in any possible spot, may be the companies did not yet observed the incredible nature and efficiency of tourism attraction of that place hence they did not approach further. If somebody will see any possibility of profitable business and comes to the government side we will definitely move forward to the said project”, said Jora.