Budgam, Jun 26: Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Khansahib, Saif Ud Din Bhat on Thursday urged the central government and the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to reopen tourist destinations in the region for visitors and the general public. He said reopening these sites would enable local residents to earn a livelihood and help revitalise the tourism industry in the Kashmir Valley.
Bhat said Budgam district is home to three prominent tourist spots—Tosamaidan, Doodhpathri, and Yousmarg—all of which have remained closed since the Pahalgam incident. The closure has severely impacted local residents, many of whom rely on these destinations as their primary source of income, he said.
“The Government of India must reopen all these tourist destinations to welcome visitors. This will allow local families to earn a livelihood from tourism and help restore economic stability in the area,” Bhat said.
The MLA mentioned ongoing efforts to improve accessibility, saying the government has approved macadamisation of the 9-kilometre stretch from Sitharan to Tosamaidan. Once completed, this road work will enable tourists and visitors to reach Tosamaidan more quickly and comfortably.
“While some tourist sites in Jammu and Kashmir have been reopened by the Lieutenant Governor, all destinations in Budgam remain shut. I sincerely hope these will be reopened soon, as many families in the district depend entirely on tourism,” he added.
MLA Bhat appealed to the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to facilitate the reopening of these destinations. “Doing so would attract tourists from across India and abroad, providing much-needed relief to the local population and contributing to the revival of Kashmir’s tourism industry,” he said.
