Swadesh Darshan Scheme 40 pc of sanctioned funds remain un-utilised in J&K

Even though the Jammu and Kashmir government has claimed that several initiatives have been taken to revive tourism sector which was affected by abrogation of Article 370 and COVID-19 pandemic, the administration seems falling short of its promise as only 60 percent of funds sanctioned under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme by the Centre have been utilized in last 4 years.

Given the commitment of the Union government to boost the tourism sector in a region that promises huge potential, it is pertinent to note that the highest proportion of the funds has been earmarked for Jammu and Kashmir among all the other states and UTs under the centrally sponsored Swadesh Darshan scheme.

There are six ongoing projects in the region costing Rs.522.35 crores as stated by the Union Ministry of Tourism in a reply on the floor of parliament, and while Rs.396.04 crores have been released, Rs.313.08 crores have been utilized in the last 4 years, making Jammu and Kashmir among the top five regions where these funds remain under-utilized.

Among the six projects of the ambitious Himalayan tourism circuit in the UT, the ongoing activity in Jammu- Srinagar- Pahalgam- Bhagwati Nagar- Anantnag- Salamabad- Uri-Kargil- Leh circuit has used Rs.46.49 crores out of Rs.77.33 crores; Jammu- Rajouri – Shopian- Pulwama circuit has used Rs.49.64 crores out of Rs.84.46 crores; development of tourist facilities at Mantalai and Sudh Mahadev has used Rs.68.33 crores out of 30.85 crores; Anantnag- Kishwar- Pahalgam- Daksum- Ranjit Sagar Dam circuit has used Rs.51 crores out of 87.44 crores and Gulmarg- Baramulla – Kupwara – Kargil – Leh circuit has used Rs.38.81 crores out of 91.84 crores, sanctioned for the purpose.

Swadesh Darshan, a central sector scheme was launched in 2014-15 for the integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits across the nation.

This scheme was envisioned with the idea of positioning the tourism sector as a major engine for job creation, driving the force of economic growth, and building synergy with various sectors to enable tourism to realize its potential.

The Union Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned 76 projects under 13 thematic circuits during the period 2014-15 to 2018-19 in the country under its Swadesh Darshan scheme out of which 16 projects are physically complete whereas the remaining projects are under different stages of implementation, the Ministry stated in its reply.
The other regions where spending remains sluggish include Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

A total amount of Rs.3907.54 crores has been utilized out of Rs.5524.82 crores allocated to various states and UTs under this scheme, making national average spending of 70.7 percent in comparison to 60 percent utilized in Jammu and Kashmir so far.