No normalcy claim without reopening closed tourist spots: Omar

Srinagar, Dec 13: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the Centre cannot claim normalcy in the Union Territory unless tourist destinations closed after the Pahalgam attack earlier this year are reopened. He also called for a review of the decision to shut several tourist spots following the incident.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating Asia’s longest ski drag lift at Gulmarg, Abdullah said the elected government can only build or upgrade tourism-related infrastructure, while decisions on the closure of tourist destinations are not within its domain.

Following the April 22 terror attack at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, the Lieutenant Governor’s administration had closed several tourist spots citing security concerns. While some destinations were reopened in a phased manner, many continue to remain shut, he said.

The Chief Minister noted that Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed far worse situations in the past, yet tourist destinations were not closed. “When tourism restarted after 1996, despite a much more difficult situation, no destination was closed,” he said.

While acknowledging the Centre’s support, Abdullah said the continued closure of several tourist spots was creating problems and needed urgent review, either at the Assembly or the Central level. “Someone has to take a decision,” he said.

Questioning the rationale behind prolonged closures, Abdullah said it was spreading confusion among tourists. “On one hand, you tell the world that Jammu and Kashmir has normalised. On the other hand, half of Gulmarg is closed, half of Pahalgam and Doodhpathri are shut,” he remarked.

Abdullah said that despite challenges such as the Pahalgam attack, floods, the Delhi blast and the accidental blast in Nowgam, the government has made sustained efforts to promote tourism. Noting that Indian tourists travel across the world, he stressed the need for continuous improvement in infrastructure.

He said several projects were inaugurated and foundation stones laid in Gulmarg, with similar initiatives planned for other tourist destinations.

Expressing concern over the lack of snowfall so far this winter, the Chief Minister said stakeholders were eagerly waiting for snow. “Everyone asks if it has snowed. We say not yet, and they say, tell us when it does,” he said.

On the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, Abdullah quipped, “Let it snow first, then we will talk about statehood.”

Responding to queries on winter power cuts, he said some outages were unavoidable due to maintenance and urged people to use electricity judiciously. He added that system failures often occur in areas without proper metering, and regular load shedding remains a compulsion as the government is unable to fully meet the power demand.