Betab Valley, Verinag and Kokernag gardens among tourist spots to reopen in Jammu and Kashmir
Several tourist spots were closed for the public in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack. These will now be reopened in a phased manner on June 17.
Nearly two months after the Pahalgam terror attack, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Saturday announced that over a dozen tourist destinations across the Union Territory will be reopened in a phased manner from June 17.
Over 50 tourist destinations in J&K were closed for tourists on April 29, days after 26 people were killed in the April 22 Pahalgam attack, pending a security review.
The L-G, who is in Pahalgam to review the security situation ahead of the Amarnath Yatra beginning July 3, said: “I’ve ordered reopening of some of the tourist spots in Kashmir and Jammu divisions, which were temporarily closed as precautionary measures.” Among the destinations to be reopened on June 17 are Betab Valley, parks in Pahalgam Market, Verinag Garden, Kokernag Garden and Achabal Garden, he said.
Other destinations to be reopened in a phased manner are Badamwari Park, Duck Park, Taqdeer Park in Srinagar, Sarthal, Dhaggar in Kathua, Devi Pindi, Siyad Baba, Sula Park in Reasi, Guldanda and Jai Valley in Doda and Pancheri in Udhampur.
On the Amarnath Yatra arrangements, L-G Sinha said, “Over the last few years, we have increased many facilities for the yatris. The path to the cave is wider and we have also enhanced connectivity to the area. Capacity and quality of living arrangements for the yatris have also been improved.”
The L-G also reviewed the progress of the Disaster Management Centre and Yatri Niwas at Nunwan Base Camp, Pahalgam.
Earlier in the day, Sinha visited the residence of Syed Adil Hussain at Anantnag, the ponywala killed in the Pahalgam attack, and handed over an appointment letter to his wife Gulnaz Akhter on compassionate grounds. Soon after, the ruling National Conference announced that the appointment letter was already prepared by the Fisheries Department.
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In a post on X, NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said, “In moments of pain, politics must make way for compassion, and governance must honour its word.” “We thank LG Sahab for handing over the job order that was already prepared by the Fisheries Department, a department under the elected government led by Minister Javed Dar,” Sadiq said.
“This reflects the maturity and responsibility shown by the elected government, we did not allow egos to come in the way, but stood by our commitment to Adil’s family in their moment of grief,” he said.
Sadiq highlighted that the state government had earlier given similar appointment letters to the kin of those killed in Pakistan shelling in Poonch.
“The job orders were later distributed by the home minister after the CM had personally visited and personally committed these jobs to the (affected) families immediately after the shelling,” Sadiq, who is also an MLA from Zadibal constituency, said.
Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies.
Expertise
Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics.
Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers:
Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state.
Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights.
Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More
