Jammu, 10 April (H.S.): The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Doda, Kartik Shrotriya, on Friday said that maintaining peace and brotherhood and providing foolproof security to tourists, especially at high-altitude destinations of Bhaderwah valley, will be their first priority.

Shrotriya, who has recently taken over as the district police chief of Doda following a massive reshuffle of the police administration by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on April 2, laid focus on ensuring a safe environment for visitors, which is paramount to maintaining the region’s hospitality and economic growth.

“I have specifically set two targets, especially for Bhaderwah, as I came from Anantnag, where I joined as ASP immediately after the Pahalgam terror attack. So tourist security, social coordination among locals and communal harmony should be maintained at any cost,” Shrotriya told reporters here.

“When I joined Anantnag in the month of May, just one week after the Pahalgam terror attack, it was painful to see the condition of locals there as they had lost their only source of livelihood generated from the arrival of tourists. So I hope such a situation doesn’t arise anywhere in India again, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, be it due to communal discord or terrorism,” he said.

Laying his focus on building a terror-free ecosystem, he further said, “So, I have promised to myself that my focus should always remain on increasing business opportunities from tourism activities and for that I need your help and cooperation.”

Urging people to make the beautiful Bhaderwah valley more attractive for visitors, he said, “It can happen only if you share inputs, information and truthful opinions regarding unscrupulous and anti-national elements in society, as there is no other way to keep our booming tourism industry going.”

Commenting on the security scenario around high-altitude tourist destinations of Bhaderwah valley, the SSP said, “Security for tourists, especially at high-altitude destinations, is a constantly evolving domain and for that, be it civil administration or other security forces, we keep meeting so that we are always updated about the level of security we are able to provide, ensuring that tourists can enjoy all the beauty that this place has to offer.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar