Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir's LG administration is identifying land to establish 5-star hotels, including state land, forests, and private land.
In an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), number 1116-J&KGAD, dated May 30, 2024, the administration has constituted district-level committees for the identification of land for the establishment of 5-star hotels. This land may include state land, forest land, and private land, considering accessibility and other basic infrastructure required for the project.
According to the order, these panels will be chaired by the concerned Deputy Commissioners and include the Director of Tourism, DFO, Chief Town Planner, Chief Executive Officer, and General Manager of the District Industries Centre as members.
The panels will submit their proposals through the Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu to the Tourism Department. Officials in the Tourism Department have stated that “there is a dire need for setting up 5-star hotels in Jammu and Kashmir given the huge influx of tourists.”
Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir administration launched an alleged anti-encroachment drive to free “state land” and forests from “illegal” encroachers. The administration reported that 15.83 lakh kanals of land were retrieved during the massive drive launched in January last year.
In November 2020, makeshift huts of nomadic Gujjar and Bakarwal communities were demolished in forests. According to officials, an estimated 15,000 hectares of forest land are under alleged encroachments.
(KNO Inputs)