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Ahead of maiden visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jammu & Kashmir after being voted to power at the Centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday demanded grant of tourist city status to Jammu considering the fact it is the only city in North India visited by more than 10 million pilgrims, including tourists, every year.
The party also demanded the central government to launch special tourism packages for Sanasar, Patnitop, Kud, Mantalai and Mansar so that these salubrious and scenic places are brought on the world’s tourist map.
The other demands raised by the BJP include sanctioning of a macro-agro project in Jammu, setting up of a railway coach factory to generate ample employment opportunities and dissuade the youth from migrating outside the state, exploitation of saffron to the advantage of people and state and areas in Kashmir and parts of Jammu province, especially Kishtwar and areas where saffron production could be raised and special package for refugees of all varieties and grant of citizenship rights to refugees from West Pakistan.
The BJP also demanded border areas of R S Pura and the adjoining areas in Jammu province, which are famous for producing best quality of rice, should be declared export zone status for it.
The party also called for setting up of Rail and Air link between Jammu and Poonch with rail link between Jammu and Akhnoor on priority basis as it involves less expenditure, it said adding that railway track be setup from Manwa to Billawar to Basohli in Jammu to Pathankot (Punjab).
