JK Govt considering to expand weekend package to Vaishno Devi

Katra, Jan 29 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir government is in consultation with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp to expand the newly-launched weekend package from the national capital to popular pilgrim destination of Vaishno Devi shrine, in order to get the tourists visit other places of interest nearby.

''We were looking at ways to extend the tour to nearby tourist destination like Shivkhori (Shaivite cave shrine) and Patnitop (hill station),'' Director Tourism (Jammu) Ajay Khajuria said here.

Director Tourism (Kashmir) Farooq Shah said we were also examining the possibility of having an option to visit the valley along with the package.

More than 70 per cent of J and K's population, as well as sale of handicrafts and horticulture products, depends on tourism, so the state wanted to retain tourists for as long as possible.

The state government would invest Rs 700 crore for setting up infrastructure like building roads and providing water and electricity. The private sector was expected to chip in their bit in the hotel industry.

Special emphasis in this regard was being paid to Katra and ensure that it received uninterrupted power like Gulmarg.

IRCTC Group General Manager (Tourism) Amrit Brar, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India General Secretary Sanjay Sexena and Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh Tourism Promotion Council Chairman V K Sehgal were present at the occasion, where Mr Khajuria and Mr Shah interacted with the first batch of tourists of the IRCTC's package launched on January 26.

The three night-two day all-inclusive package entailed AC three-tier train travel, transit, food, hotel stay and 'darshan' on a priority basis.

The trip started on Friday evenings from New Delhi Railway Station and ended early on Monday mornings at the same place.

The journey from Delhi to Jammu was undertaken by Jammu Rajdhani, from where passengers were taken to Katra by a luxury bus and put up in a hotel. There was free 'pick-up and drop' facility from the hotel to Banganga, where ascent to the hilltop cave shrine actually began. The return journey was in Uttar Sampark Kranti.

Passengers were provided priority 'darshan' slips so that they could give serpentine queues at the temple door a miss.

The package, which at the moment had only 20 seats, cost Rs 3,950 and bookings could be done online or through IRCTC designated tour operators.

Children up to 12 years of age were charged half the amount.

UNI