Tourism minister Prahlad Patel to visit J&K, Kargil

NEW DELHI: The tourism ministry is planning to write to the finance ministry and seek separate budgets for the newly created union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Tourism minister Prahlad Patel, who visited Leh last week, will also visit J&K within the next two months and the ministry will launch new advertising campaigns for the two union territories soon, said officials aware of the matter.

“We will be requesting the finance ministry for a separate allocation for J&K and Ladakh. Besides the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, under the Prime Minister’s development package Rs 2,000 crore was announced for tourism out of which Rs 400 crore has been spent. That leaves us with Rs 1,600 crore. We will need separate budgets for both Ladakh and J&K,” said an official, who did not wish to be identified.

Tourism minister Patel, who is also minister of state (independent charge) for culture, will take officials from both the ministries along on his visit to J&K and Kargil.


“We will consider developing local tourism spots and inducting some monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Plans are afoot after the tourism and culture minister’s visit to Leh to induct more officials in ASI for Leh,” said another official.

Some monasteries and monuments in Leh are being considered for induction under ASI, according to the official. “Nodal officers have been appointed. The tourism ministry is also planning to promote J&K and Ladakh on a big level through new advertising campaigns and we have started the process of inviting advertising and marketing firms for this. We will promote the two union territories on global as well as national levels,” said the official.

Last week, the tourism minister met with the local administration and tourism industry executives in Leh to discuss and draw plans for the development of the tourism sector in Ladakh.