Army Transfers 139 Acres of Prime Srinagar Land to Boost Tourism Development

In a significant development, the Indian army has decided to completely vacate 139.04 acres of prime land in Srinagar. This Tattoo Ground is made available for tourism and other developmental work. The Ministry of Defence has made this decision formal by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Home Affairs facilitated by the Government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha presided over the MoU signing ceremony. The handing over of the Tattoo Ground was a momentous occasion for the tourism of the region. The official spokesperson of the army said that they are committed to completing the land transfer in 120 days. Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha expressed gratitude to the army for their cooperation and emphasized the significance of the move for the tourism sector in the valley.

Many key senior army officials were present at the event. Some of the dignitaries that were present at the ceremony included Lt. General Rajiv Ghai, General Officer Commanding 15 Corps; Dr. Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor; Vijay Kumar, Additional Director General of Police; and Vijay Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir.

The decision to hand over the Tattoo Ground for tourism harks back to December 2009 when Home Minister P. Chidambaram emphasized the withdrawal and reduction of the army footprint in the city. The Tattoo Ground has been part of several conflicts with the militants resulting in causalities among the security personnel.

Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Muhammad Sayeed had earlier set the deadline for troop withdrawal in September 2015 that did not materialize. Now, with this agreement in place, the region is hopeful for a positive transformation and opening up new possibilities for the tourism sector on this historic piece of land.