Srinagar: Official guidelines have been floated by Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir as the event managing organization hired by directotate of tourism Kashmir is facing an enquiry among others by the department itself.
According to sources inside the department DTK had empanelled three local event management companies for the activities which included Space Communications, Kashmir Movie Tone and Team ideation respectively.
The empanelment was done in June this year the department for conducting tourism paromotional events, activities on behalf of the Directorate of Toursim, Kashmir for period of two years.
According to sources the empanelment was done on the basis of score in the tendering process and after examining the bids by the companies.
However Tourism department later issued another order to the empanelled companies that there is an enquiry being conducted into the issue of empanelment.
“The empanelment of the local event management has been kept under enquiry by the administrative department,” read the order.
The department was to organize Kashmir Festival and had shot a mail to empanelled companies but later retracted as the administrative department had decided to organize FAM tour for national tour operators, media fraternity and travel bloggers & writers.
According to sources one of the empanelled companies, while under enquiry, was made an organizer of the FAM tour.
“There were three companies, so even if one has to be hired, the selection will be on decreasing order of empanelment,” source said.
However he said one of the favored event management company was asked to manage the event for DTK.
Kashmir Movie Tone owner Aijaz Mir, denied of being an event manager for the event of Tourism department.
“I was not hired by the Tourism department as we are facing an enquiry but my equipment was hired by SKICC, venue of event,” Aijaz said.
The two events organised in Pahalgam club and Khyber hotel Gulmarg, according to Aijaz were organized by the people there and not by him.
Director SKICC Javed Bakshi however denied of hiring any Kashmir Movie Tone for ‘anything’.
“It was a tourism departments event why should I hire for it. We were asked to provide venue and refreshment. That we have done,” Bakshi said.
According to Bakshi, tourism department told them that ‘there men will come to set up and do all the necessary things for the event’.
“We only deputed our men so that no property is damaged. Its tourism departments event they would have done if any tendering or bidding etc was to be done. We will bill for our own works,” Bakshi said.
Sources inside Tourism department however said that no tendering was done to outsource event management of the FAM Tour but added that they did not know ‘how KMT is involved in the event’.
The FAM tour was inaugurated by the governor Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik , the 3-day event.
Sources however confided that ‘there might be an understanding at highest level’.
The other empanelled companies however are feeling betrayed for being bypassed and no tendering, even, not asked.
“If we have been empanelled and one among us is working than it’s a sheer disregard for the enquiry orders itself. What is the fun of being empanelled then,” an event managing company official said, wishing not to be named.
Another official told, wishing not to be named, that Aijaz’s company was managing event.
“Why would khyber or skicc hire someone on behalf of DTK . He was doing tourism department’s job. His people and machinery was involved,” he confided.
Repeated texts to director Tourism Kashmir went un answered.
