The Houseboat Owners Association (HBOA) today hailed the laying of foundation stone of new Tourist Reception Centre Srinagar by chief minister Omar Abdullah and hoped the project will be completed within a set timeframe.

 Chairman HBOA Manzoor A Wangnoo talking to Greater Kashmir said it was a welcome initiative and “it has met the long pending demand of the HBOA.”  Wangnoo said the new building should have all the facilities important for tourism trade. 

He said the government should ensure that the building gets all those offices that were operating from the building prior to its damage in a fire accident.  He said it was a long pending demand of the association with the government to construct the TRC building at the very place it stood prior to its gutting in a fire accident.

He said the new building should have modern amenities of food courts, meeting halls, ATMs, railway office, counters for travel and trade association, counters for booking of airlines, etc.  He hailed the tourism department and said it was with their (tourism department’s) efforts that the new TRC is going to come at its very place.