Sources said MTDC is looking to set up 20-40-room resorts at the two sites for which it wants at least 30,000 sq ft each Sources said MTDC is looking to set up 20-40-room resorts at the two sites for which it wants at least 30,000 sq ft each

ALMOST A month after the Centre revoked the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, BJP-ruled Maharashtra and Karnataka have become the first states to propose investment in the two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh that will come into being from October 31.

Sources said the Maharashtra government has written to Union Tourism Minister Pralhad Singh Patel offering to open resorts run by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) in both the regions. It has also written to the local administration for allotment of land for the resorts.

Looking to leverage the move in the upcoming state polls, the Maharashtra Cabinet Tuesday sanctioned the state tourism department’s proposal, making a token budgetary provision of Rs 2 crore for the investment.

Later, Karnataka Tourism Minister C T Ravi posted on his Twitter account: “While we are focused on improving Tourism Industry in Karnataka, we are also contemplating about making an entry into Jammu & Kashmir Tourism. Karnataka’s Art, Architecture, Culture & Traditions can be showcased in India’s Crown, resulting in a win-win situation for both states.”

Maharashtra’s move comes a week after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told The Indian Express that the revocation of J&K’s special status would be an issue in the elections because “every single person in every state, barring 2-3 per cent, supports it”, and that the people of Maharashtra “feel it (Kashmir) should be an integral part of the country”.

Sources said the CM has also been in touch with J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik regarding investment in the region. On Tuesday, Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jaikumar Rawal announced that he will be visiting the region in the next 15 days for negotiations.

Maharashtra Tourism Secretary Vinita Singhal said the administration had identified locations in popular tourist locations, such as Pahalgam and Leh, for the resorts based on discussions with the local administration.

She said MTDC had cleared the proposal in its board meeting last week. “We will now write to the Centre and the local administration seeking allotment of land or an existing facility,” she said.

Singhal said the state will wait for a formal response before drawing up a concrete plan. Another alternative being offered is setting up a facility in Srinagar.

In Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, sources said, the proposal was not part of the official agenda but was discussed by Rawal. Sources said MTDC is looking to set up 20-40-room resorts at the two sites for which it wants at least 30,000 sq ft each. “There are many tourists from Maharashtra who visit the region and will benefit from the facility. Tourists from other states would also be able to use the resorts,” said Rawal.

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