Srinagar, Jan 31: The Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering at the Ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir is facing closure in the wake of financial crisis, jeopardizing the career of scores of students undertaking different programmes there.
Sources disclosed to Greater Kashmir that the institute, established way back in 1969, is not able to meet the wages of the maintenance staff and the piling power bill from the Power Development Department as the Central Ministry of Tourism, which overlooks its functioning, hasn’t provided the requisite funds this year.
The institute, the sources said, imparts training to scores of Kashmiri students and those from elsewhere in skiing and mountaineering.
“In 2010, the Ministry had approved Rs 1.52 crore for the institute but this year it hasn’t released any money,” said Colonel JS Dhillon, Principal of the Institute, while confirming the financial crisis.
Dhillon admitted that the institute is facing closure which can be avoided if the Ministry steps in immediately and releases the required funds.
“Since July 2010 we haven’t paid wages to the maintenance staff. This amount has piled up to Rs 20 lakh. This is in addition to the power tariff bill of Rs 10 lakh which we owe to the Power Development Department,” he told Greater Kashmir.
According to insiders, the institute is managing the situation by procuring short-term loans. But, they said, it would automatically close down if its electricity is snapped.
“The entire institute is centrally heated. The pipes and other equipments in the institute would collapse if the power supply is snapped because Gulmarg reels under sub-zero temperatures in winter,” said an official in the Institute, insisting not to be named.
This time, the institute is asking the PDD to cooperate with it till the funds from the central ministry are released. “But that arrangement is not going to last longer,” the official said.
The institute authorities fear that the concerned contractors, providing fuel for running the machinery there, might stop the same, leading to its closure. “There are employees who paid some contractors out of their own pockets. But then, they can’t do it always. The Ministry must come to the rescue of the institute, which is imparting training to hundreds of students annually,” the officials said.
Just few days back, one batch of 71 students completed their course, paving way for another batch of 80 students.
The institute right now offers intermediate and advance skiing courses in a bid to develop the skills among the students so that they can earn their livelihood in adventure tourism at the end of the day.
Dhillon said that the institute earns around 17 to 18 lakh rupees from students as revenue but can’t invest the same in the development of the infrastructure. “The money has to be deposited with the government,” they said.
According to sources, the infrastructure is not outdated. “Revenue generating assets like ski lift, chair lift have become unsafe. The water is leaking in the building guest rooms. But we don’t have money,” they said.
JS Dhillon, however, is hopeful that the Ministry will step in. “The Ministry is sensitive to the issue and we are hopeful to overcome this crisis very soon,” he said, asserting that he has formally taken up the matter with the Ministry.
The institute was established in 1969 by Ministry of Tourism to train students in winter sports and also promote tourism.
It also offers courses like snow skiing, snow skating, water skiing and trekking.
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