For most people in the Valley, the empowerment of the councils is but an extension of their own aspirations for greater autonomy, which lies at the heart of the Kashmir issue.
The local interest around trekking caught on from 2004-2005 and since then, several locals have been trekking in different mountain ranges in the Valley.
The January 27 army shootout in a south Kashmir's Shopian has put the J&K government in a tight spot. It has also triggered fresh thoughts about changes in the geography-history syllabus for school students in the troubled border-state.
The officials say they have changed the strategy and are going to places like Bangladesh and Thailand to present Kashmir as a perfect tourist destination.
This comes just after one JCO was killed by militants in Beerwah area of Budgam after the army came under attack during a search operation early on Monday.
Singh said that the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to strengthening the small-scale industries across the country.
