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J&K CM Omar Abdullah highlights Karnah’s tourism potential, focusing on border tourism, trekking and homestays, while ruling out a cable car project and stressing sustainable development.
The Chief Minister highlighted the natural beauty of the area
Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that Karnah has immense potential for tourism, particularly border tourism, hiking and trekking, and the government is working on a comprehensive plan to promote the sector in the region.
Replying to a supplementary question raised by the MLA Karnah during the Question Hour of the ongoing Budget Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly 2026, the Chief Minister highlighted the natural beauty of the area and said the government intends to ensure full-scale tourism promotion in Karnah.
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“There is potential in terms of border tourism, hiking and trekking, and there is immense natural beauty in Karnah. The government is planning a programme to ensure complete tourism promotion in this area,” he said.
Holding the Tourism portfolio, Omar Abdullah emphasized the need for sustainable and grassroots-level tourism infrastructure. He said the government intends to focus more on developing homestays instead of constructing large hotels.
“We should promote tourism at the grassroots level. I think this will be more beneficial to the area,” he added.
Acknowledging concerns raised by the local representative, the Chief Minister said that more needs to be done to promote tourism in remote areas like Karnah.
“There is no doubt that the area from which the Honourable MLA belongs is very beautiful, but it is also remote. We may not have done as much as we could for tourism promotion,” he said.
Clarifying about the proposed cable car project from TD Drangyari to Zarla via Sadhna Pass, the Chief Minister said that no such proposal is currently under consideration in the Tourism Department.
He cautioned against the perception that installing a cable car automatically boosts tourist inflow, citing examples from Gulmarg, Jammu, Srinagar and Patnitop, where gondola facilities exist but tourist footfall varies significantly.
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“Everyone keeps an eye on Gulmarg and thinks that if a cable car is installed in their area, tourists will come in the same way. This is not right,” he said, adding that installing a gondola without proper planning may not be viable and would not benefit the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the government is committed to promoting tourism across J&K by bringing lesser-known destinations onto the tourism map, subject to feasibility and availability of resources.
He also highlighted several initiatives undertaken in Karnah constituency to boost tourism, including the construction of a Tourist Cafeteria and Public Convenience at Drangyari, hosting of a Winter Carnival at Drangyari in January 2023, and a Mega Yoga Festival at Teetwal in June 2024.
“These initiatives are aimed at enhancing tourist footfall and creating livelihood opportunities for the local population,” he added.
