Suchetgarh to host 'Atari' like parade

JAMMU: Finally opening its eyes at the great opportunity Suchetgarh sector provides for boosting tourism in the state, the government on Thursday said it is considering to organize a parade in Jammu, on the lines of one held at Atari-Wagah post in Amritsar.
A minister in the cabinet asserted on Thursday that the government is mulling over organising a 'Atari-Wagah-type parade' in the Suchetgarh sector along the international border, in a bid to boost tourism in the state.
"We are going to organise Wagah-type parade in Suchetgarh shortly. If the parade starts there, I am hopeful that the tourists who visit the state will definitely go there to watch the place and explore the new destination," Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE) Sham Lal Choudhary said.
The minister without elaborating on the details of the plan, said that the place offers a great opportunity for tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
"We cannot ignore the frequent firing on the boundary. It is a reality. However, in Suchetgarh sector it has not taken place, especially in the area where a picnic spot has been set up," the minister said.
The minister termed the potential significance of the place in the figures of visitors.
"Around 1,500 to 2,000 people visit the place every day, especially on Sundays," he said, thus echoing the sentiments of many other who have been demanding to develop the place for tourism on the lines of Atari border.
While various governments in past have indicated for developing Suchetgarh as a tourist spot, it is first time someone has spoken openly about developing it like Atari border.
has It may also be recalled that last year, when Kashmir was facing one of the worst unrests in recent past after death of Hizbul Mujahidin Commander Burhan Wani, the Amarnath devotees stranded in Jammu were taken out on a tour of Jammu, to Suchetgarh Border out Post for 'Jammu Darshan'. Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti in 2016 and former Chief Minister, Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, in 2015 have stated that they wanted to develop the place on the pattern of Atari-Wagah border in Punjab so that people from both sides could meet at this point, fulfilling the agenda of establishing and maintaining good bilateral relations between India and Pakistan through exchange of conversations.
Not long ago, the state government, of which BJP is a part, had sent a cabinet memo to Centre, suggesting the development of Suchetgarh as a prime tourist spot. It had even allocated 7 Crore rupees for same and was ready to buy more land at the place, if needed.
The Tourism Department had already declared its intent of building tourist facilitation centres, restaurants, flower stalls, and view decks at both the border posts, if given approval by the authorities. With BJP's presence at helm in both Delhi and Kashmir, it does not seem impossible too considering that links through other parts of the country already exist.
For the inept, Suchetgarh is the nearest place from Jammu on this side of border and Sialkot on the other side and attract a number of visitors towards it. Located at an equal distance from Sialkot, Pakistan as it is to RS Pura, it served as an important station in the railway and road link that existed between Jammu and Sialkot, before 1947.
Meanwhile, minister of State for Tourism Sethi said the government was making all out efforts to project the Jammu region as a separate tourist destination.
"All our efforts are on this direction. We are focusing on various tourist spots and trying to attract tourists to these places," she said.