3-day Baisaki Mela opens at Suchetgarh, Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu [J&K], April 13: A 3-day Baisakhi Mela was inaugurated here at Indo-Pak border Suchetgarh today with fane-fare.
The festival was jointly organized by Department Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir, Tourism Trade Organizations and Non-Government stake holders in tourism, pilgrimage and heritage of Jammu.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister in Jammu & Kashmir Government, R.S. Chib said that to attract more and more tourists in border area, the government has formulated a project to develop Suchetgarh Border Post as tourist destination under Border Tourism Development Programme. He said that the project would be completed in phased manner and Rs.5 crore would be spent in the first phase in developing the tourism infrastructure to facilitate the visiting tourists in the area.
The Minister said that the project consisting development of park over 150 kanals, entry gate, tourist facilitation centre, land scaping and development of terrace garden with fountains, development of walkway to oversee international border, watch tower, war memorial with photo gallery of war heroes of the area, construction of amphitheatre and necessary tourism related infrastructure.
Besides, up-gradation of R.S. Pura - Suchetgarh road, maintenance of some heritage sites are also the components of the project. These include ancient Shiv Temple and Dargah of Baba Budan Ali Shah at airport, Radha Krishan Temple, old Railway Station, R.S. Pura, Raghunathji Temple and Ziarat Peer Baba at Suchetgarh.
Describing the event a historic one, the Minister said that the celebration of Baisakhi festival at zero-line of Indo-Pak border will go a long way in promoting border tourism.
Member of Parliament from Jammu & Kashmir, Mr. Madan Lal Sharma, Legislators from Jammu & Kashmir, Prof. Gharu Ram Bhagat and Choudhary Sham Lal also spoke on the occasion. Among others, Director Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, R. S. Pura, Mr. Ashwani Khajuria and senior officers of BSF and a huge number of people of the area present on the occasion.
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