Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today urged the Union government to include the Srinagar International Airport among the airports in India from where flights to the Asean countries are to be operated.
In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Mufti said the beginning of flights between the countries of the 10-member Asean grouping and Srinagar would give the desired push to the state's tourism industry.
"The operation of flights from and to cities like Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore and other cities in the region would have a positive impact on the tourism industry and bolster the state's economy," she said in the letter.
Several representatives of the state tourism industry have met Mufti over the months and requested her to ensure the state is linked to Asean countries to boost tourism.
In 2003, India had signed an open skies agreement with the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam make up the Asean regional grouping.
In another communication to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, Mufti sought the continuation of central assistance to the state's poultry industry, extension of loan recovery period.
She also sought the waiving of interest in respect of unit holders to sustain their business which suffered heavily during the 2014 floods, besides the high cost of feed imported from neighbouring states.
Representatives of the Poultry Dealers Association had recently met Mufti and urged her to take up the issues with the central government.
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