Ambitious project of Jambu Zoo in Nagrota has missed another deadline of December 2020 that was set in July 2019 during the time of the then Governor Satya Pal Malik.
The delay is project is nothing less than discrimination that has always been a part and parcel of administration be it a National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Interestingly it is the same Jammu that gave a clear majority to BJP in Lok Sabha election where both the party candidates including Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma won. Despite this many of the developmental projects including Jambu Zoo and Tawi Lake project never saw light of the day.
Many also ask the question as to why BJP takes Jammu for granted despite the fact that it has its base only in the region in UT.
Jumbo Zoo also holds importance as it is named after the founder of the city King Jambu Lochan. While elements in BJP are busy in celebrating as to how Article 370 was scrapped and Kashmir completely integrated into the country, it seems more like a veil on the discrimination meted out against Jammu.
On July 4, 2019, The State Administrative Council (SAC) which met under the chairmanship Satya Pal Malik revived the Jambu Zoo at Khanpur Nagrota which was held up for lack of funds.
For this purpose, an area of 163.42 hectare of land was transferred to Wildlife Department.
The work on the project was earlier initiated by the Wildlife Department through CAMPA funding and some amount was utilized. However, the work was stopped due to change in the guidelines of CAMPA funding which restricted the Government from allocating any further funds. The Zoo was expected to serve as an added tourist attraction especially for tourists coming to visit Jammu to pay obeisance at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, Katra.
However another deadline was few months ago allotted to the Jambu Zoo and it was said that it will be complete in December 2021 making a mockery of deadlines for projects in Jammu.
