PAHALGAM: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today held a meeting of the Council of Ministers at Pahalgam to demonstrate the resolve of the Government to restart normal routine in Pahalgam, send a welcoming message to tourists and to vehemently reject all kinds of violence and attempts to derail peace in Jammu & Kashmir.
This is the first time the cabinet meeting has been convened outside Srinagar or Jammu, during this government’s present tenure.
The choice of Pahalgam is aimed at expressing solidarity with the victims of terror attack at Baisaran on April 22, after which Kashmir including Pahalgam has witnessed a sharp decline in tourist footfall.
This was the 11th Council of Minister’s meeting and various agenda items were taken up for discussion and decision.
Omar Abdullah, during his first stint as the CM of the erstwhile J&K state from 2009-14, had convened cabinet meetings in remote areas like Gurez, Machil, Tangdar of north Kashmir and Rajouri and Poonch areas of Pir Panjal region.
The decision to hold this cabinet meeting comes two days after CM Omar on Saturday at the NITI Aayog General Council meeting proposed to revive J&K tourism sector which has been severely impacted by the Baisaran terror attack, suggesting that Parliamentary committees, PSUs & Central Government departments to hold meetings/ conferences in Kashmir to rebuild the confidence among general people intending to visit J&K in future.
To continue with his efforts to restore normalcy, CM Omar Abdullah shall be taking a meeting of all Ministers and Administrative Secretaries at Gulmarg on Wednesday, which according to an official statement is aimed to alleviate fear, reinforce sense of security and trust, and ultimately pave the way for the revival of tourism in Kashmir and boost economic activities in the region.
