Srinagar, Oct 25 (NVI): Former General Secretary of the Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association Muhammad Yaqoob Dunoo has urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to announce a time-bound relief and rehabilitation package for the houseboat industry, citing decades of pending demands for subsidised timber and financial assistance.
Welcoming the government’s support measures for eligible homestay operators, Dunoo said similar assistance should be extended to houseboat owners to ensure fair treatment for the traditional tourism sector.
In an appeal to the chief minister, who also holds the Tourism portfolio, Dunoo said houseboats were an integral part of Kashmir’s cultural heritage and tourism identity, and had continued to sustain the region’s hospitality sector even during periods of militancy and unrest.
He also sought a comprehensive houseboat preservation and rehabilitation policy, saying the sector’s heritage value, employment generation and contribution to Kashmir’s tourism economy needed to be recognised.
“We welcome government support for homestays, but the same commitment must be demonstrated towards houseboats. We are not asking the government to withdraw benefits from anyone; we are demanding fair treatment for a traditional industry that has served Jammu and Kashmir for generations,” Dunoo said.
He said houseboat owners needed concrete assistance, clear timelines and practical measures rather than repeated circulars and assurances.
Dunoo also urged Abdullah to convene a meeting with representatives of the houseboat community and concerned departments to review pending grievances and announce an action plan with defined timelines.
He said preserving Kashmir’s houseboats was a shared responsibility of the government and the community, adding that their protection was essential for safeguarding the region’s cultural heritage, livelihoods and tourism identity.—(NVI)
