JAMMU, Apr 26: The Suchetgarh International Border (IB) in RS Pura area of Jammu region is fast emerging as the major border tourist destination of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir following continuous efforts of the Tourism Department towards its development for the past more than four years.
The Suchetgarh Border post in RS Pura is around 28-30 kms from Jammu City. The Tourism Department has planned to develop the Suchetgarh International Border on the pattern of the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab.
Pertinent to mention here, on the demand of the local people, the Beating Retreat ceremony on Indian side is held on weekdays i.e Saturday and Sunday on a regular basis at the Suchetgarh Border post.
The Tourism Department has been taking several steps to develop Suchetgarh Border post as a major tourism spot of not only J & K but also of the country.
The Tourism Department is also planning to establish a shopping complex, recreational activities, food outlets, parks, etc at Suchetgarh Border near Zero Line so that it is developed as a major border tourist spot like Wagah Border.
The locals of RS Pura, along with Panchs and Sarpanchs, have demanded from the government to develop Suchetgarh Border Post so that more and more tourists are attracted, which would ultimately benefit the entire J&K UT.
Pertinently, Suchetgarh Post served as the route to Sialkot (Pakistan) during the pre-partition era, which is just 11 kms from the post and earlier there was an Octroi post at this point.
“Although it is not a trade route, we are still going to create infrastructure at Suchetgarh Border similar to the pattern of Attari-Wagah Border in Punjab”, an official of the Tourism Department said.
The infrastructural development will attract tourists from across the country, they said.
On the other side of the border i.e on the Pakistani side, lies a spectacular Banyan Tree, which is as old as 100 years. In close vicinity of Suchetgarh Border are the ‘Gharana and Abdullian wetlands’ where migratory birds of a number of varieties flock during winter season every year.
“We are now going to promote border tourism in a big way and Suchetgarh is a place in Jammu district, where we are planning to develop it like the Attari-Wagah border to attract tourists,” a senior official of the Tourism Department told Rising Kashmir.
Officials revealed that the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had advocated for developing the International Border at Suchetgarh on the pattern of the Attari-Wagah border.
A senior officer of the Tourism Department said that there are big plans to give the tourism sector in the state a ‘big push’ , adding that various projects are in the pipeline or at the stage of execution to create and upgrade tourist infrastructure in the state, especially for promoting border tourism.
The organised Parade by the men of country’s largest border guarding force (BSF) is now a regular feature of ‘retreat ceremony’ at Suchetgarh International Border (IB).
Fulfilling the decades-old demand of developing Suchetgarh on the Zero Line of the Indo-Pak border on the lines of Amritsar’s Wagah border, the Government decided to organize a ‘retreat ceremony’ to promote border tourism, official sources said.
Although there is no retreat ceremony from the Pakistan side, the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have been organizing the ‘retreat ceremony’ on weekdays to attract tourists to the border belt.
Suchetgarh is the last village in R S Pura tehsil of Jammu district which shares its border with Pakistan.
On the other side of Suchetgarh lies the first city of Pakistan, Sialkot, which is only 11 kilometers away from Suchetgarh.
The railway service between Jammu and Sialkot was started in the year 1897. This was the first railway route in Jammu and Kashmir mostly used for trade. Before the Indo-Pak partition, people from both the sides used to travel through this railway to Lahore and onwards.
On an average, 5000 to 6000 tourists every day reach Suchetgarh. The Directorate of Tourism, Jammu had recently made vigorous efforts to promote tourism spots and invited tourists from across the globe to visit Jammu and Kashmir and explore its scenic beauty.
