By Ovais Gull
Srinagar: In a brazen disregard to rules and a fallacious decision that would hit tourism sector, Directorate of Tourism Jammu has bypassed the state based event management companies and will give the empanelment to Delhi and Mumbai based firms for the year.
Sources told INS, the department of tourism Jammu recently asked for e-tendering on October 10 this year. “Directorate of Tourism, Jammu intends to organize various Fairs/Festivals/Events at different tourist destinations to promote Jammu as a prominent independent tourist destination the year 2018-19,” read the notice.
It further reads that in ‘pursuant to the above, E.O.I is invited from registered Event Management Companies for Conceptualizing and Organizing various Fairs/Festivals/Events’.
Following the notice, the valley based event management companies and from other states filed their papers.
A valley based even management company owner told INS that they received the mail from the officials that they fulfill the requirements and will have to give presentation.
“We were three event management companies from valley namely Space communication, Team ideation and Atlas. After we gave presentation, they told us that in two days you will receive the formal mail,” he confided.
The company owner said that he was shocked when on Dec 17 he visited the office in Jammu and saw officials opening financial bids.
“I talked to officials but none seems to listen to us. They are bound to keep the presence of state based event management companies and that too when we had already fulfilled the requirements they had asked for. There seems no reason why they would hit the state based people of their work,” he said.
According to him nine companies had filed their papers of which three were from state.
He claimed that firms from Delhi and Mumbai are about to be given the empanelment.
“There are thousands of people attached to this work and by brazenly adopting to nepotism the department is hitting the tourism sector. Snatching jobs from people,” he said.
Joint Director (JD) Directorate of Tourism Jammu, Showkat Ahmad while talking to INS termed the allegations as ‘baseless’, saying that all the procedures are being followed to choose a better event management company for the events and functions.
He said that there are no flaws in e-tendering and other formalities as there is transparency in such processes, therefore nobody can tamper with the procedure in this regard. “One who is providing better facilities according to the requirement will be given the empanelment,” he said.
However, Deputy Director, Directorate of Tourism Jammu, Sushil Atari couldn’t be contacted to have comments in this regard as his phone remained switched off
