Udhampur to offer unique religious tourism circuit: Dr Jitendra

Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh Sunday said that Udhampur parliamentary constituency was going to offer a unique religious tourism circuit with the integrated development.

He stated this, while convening a review meeting with the district administration Udhampur at Mantalai.

Dr Jitendra said, “In particular the Udhampur sector, which also includes Katra and Reasi that were part of the erstwhile Udhampur district, is going to offer a unique religious tourism circuit with the integrated development through Rs 190 Cr river Devika Rejuvenation project; Rs 100 Cr central Mantalai project; Mansar lake project under central Swadesh Yojana; Sudh Mahadev and Surinsar, etc.”

Referring to Mantalai project, which was the venue of today's meeting, the Union Minister of State in PMO said that the project was initially started by late Dhirendra Brahamchari, who happened to be the Yoga Guru of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and obtained the land on lease.

However, midway through the project, Dhirendra Bhrahmchari suddenly died following an air crash accident and since then the successive Congress governments did not attend to it and allowed it to turn into a shambles.

However, he said, it was only after the Modi government took over in 2014 that the project was revived nearly three decades later and now a state-of-the-art Wellness Centre cum tourist resort had come up at this location.

“Similar is the case of river Devika, which had remained unattended all these years and only after Modi took over as Prime Minister, North India's first-ever river rejuvenation project was approved for the renovation and beautification of river Devika, which is held in holy esteem,” he added.

Elaborating further, Dr Jitendra said that the holy town of Katra Vaishno Devi got its railway station only after the Modi government took over in 2014. “Now the entire area has been included in the national PRASAD scheme. In addition, the inter-modal Station, the holy spot of Sudhmahadev also received attention only after 2014 and now an alternative national highway is under construction for facilitating connectivity. While Mantalai and Mansar are already being included in the official tourist circuit, Shiv Khori is also expected to become part of it in times to come,’ he said.