The businessmen sustaining on tourism in Jaisalmer have begun a protest against the government ban on land conversions along the main roads that lead to the desert town.

Ironically, the ban had come into existence at the local tourism industry's demand. The businessmen first protested against installation of windmill units in the district's Sam area, since such units adversely affected the camel safaris that are popular among the tourists. 

The then district collector Giriraj Kushwaha, too, wrote a letter to the state government stating that a large number of tourist resorts had come up in the Sam area and there was no need for new units. He, therefore, advocated a ban on new tourist resorts and land use conversions or land allotments in the region.

The state government, accordingly, banned any type of commercial activities, land conversions and land allotments up to 2 km on either side of the roads that lead to the Sam desert region.

The businessmen now want this ban to be lifted. Protestors associated with the Sam Dunes Tourism Samiti demonstrated infront of Jaisalmer collectorate on Saturday and submitted a memorandum of their demands.

President of the Sam Camps and Resorts Welfare Society, Jaisalmer, Upendra Singh Rathore, along with a large number of tent-pitchers, cameleers and local musicians met the collector. The society members objected to the ban and pointed out that the sustenance of many a locals was being affected as the cameleers and local musicians would be out of job if the ban continues.

The society demanded that the land along the the area's arterial roads should be free to pitch camps. Almost 80% of the locals were directly or indirectly involved with the area's tourism-related businesses.

As per a survey conducted by the experts, at least 10,000 people will be out of the job if the ban were not lifted, said the society president.

Rathore demanded that the decision of the chief secretary must be reconsidered and rectified. District collector Mahaveer Prasad Swami said the government's ban on land allotments and land conversions was imposed at the demand of these businessmen only.

TOI