"The development work has been halted on the site of Gorakh Hills station due to stoppage of funds to Gorakh Hills Development Authority (GHDA) by Sindh Tourism Department", sources told Business Recorder on Monday. Gorakh Hills station project is located in Dadu district. It lies at 5688 feet above sea level and temperature ranges between 15 and 16 degrees centigrade, even in summer.
The development work was initiated on the project in 1989. About 21 years have passed but the project is still under-developed. Sources in Sindh Tourism Department said that Secretary Tourism Pir Bux Jamali has stopped funds of Rs 185 million of GHDA, resulting in stoppage of work. "GHDA had initiated various works including contrsution of huts, canteen, tuc shop and others on the site a few months back. Government contractors were engaged. But when they heard that funds have been stopped, they halted their work", sources said.
Secretery Tourism had expressed lack of intrest in the development of Gorakh hill station during a meeting held in his office a few weeks back. Jamali had firmly opposed the development work and clearly told the Director General of GHDA that he would not release funds amounting to Rs 185 million, sources said.
"Accroding to Provincial Secretery Tourism the development of Gorakh Hills station is waste of money, and nothing would be produced with this investment", sources said. Director General GHDA Engineer Nazeer Chakrani has regretted the comments of Secretry Tourism, sources added.
Sources claimed that Director General GHDA has decied to meet higher authorities including Minister for Touriosm Mohammad Ali Malkani and others in this regard and he will tell them the facts. This scribe tried to get version of Pir Bux Jamali, but he could not be reached despite many attempts. On the other hand, Chakrani told Business Recorder that if funds would not be released soon, payment of salaries of employees would also be affected.
A former Secretry Tourism Dilawar Ali Mangi also regeretted stoppage of funds to GHDA. He said that Gorakh hills station is a historical place which should be established. It is pertinent to mention that PPP-led Sindh government had restarted the development work of Gorakh hills station and created GHDA for planning, developing and managing the hilly areas of Gorakh, with a view to create sustainable and eco-friendly tourist destination for the people, by engaging local community and private sector in the development process.