india

Updated: Aug 07, 2019 20:06 IST

With the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the Maharashtra government plans to set up resorts in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

State tourism minister Jaykumar Rawal said that the state government has taken in-principle decision to invest in both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

“The MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) will make an investment in both the states by buying pieces of land where the resorts will be opened to facilitate tourists, especially from the state,” Rawal said.

“We are waiting for the legal process to be completed after which deliberations will be held with concerned government officials from both the states and a team of state officers will also visit popular places to determine the best destination for the resort,” he said.

MTDC is a state-owned body involved in the development and maintenance of various tourist locations across the state. It also owns and maintains resorts at all key tourist centres in Maharashtra.

Rawal said he believes that the withdrawal of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir will open an opportunity for investment in both the regions, which are very popular among tourists.

“MTDC doesn’t want to miss this opportunity,” Rawal said.

A similar facility is also likely to come up in Lakshadweep as well, the tourism minister said.

Rawal said some people from Lakshadweep have approached him and insisted that there should be an MTDC facility for tourists in the Union territory.

“They have also offered to provide land at concessional rates to MTDC. We have yet to take a decision on the offer,” he said.