AMN
The Supreme Court has allowed Patnitop Development Authority (PDA) to carry out construction work for the much-awaited Convention Centre at the hill station, Patnitop in Udhampur district of Jammu division.
With the requisite signal from the Apex Court, the establishment of the Convention Centre at Patnitop will be a reality soon. The Convention Centre was conceived and sanctioned as part of the project titled “Integrated Development of Mantalai-Sudhmahadev-Patnitop” under the Himalayan Circuit Theme, Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism and the Prime Minister’s Development Package with an objective to harness and boost the tourism potential of the Patnitop tourist circuit.
However, it was dropped, consequent to the land dispute with the Forest Department.
Hearing an application filed by PDA, the Apex Court permitted the applicant to construct Convention Centre at Patnitop after demolishing the existing dilapidated Club Building of the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC).
The Convention Centre was proposed to be constructed in the area under the possession of Tourism Department and at the same site where JKTDC’s Club House building stood, lying unused and in dilapidated condition.