* February 2008: An NRI couple went out to dine at a local restaurant after visiting the Golden Temple when miscreants tried to snatch woman’s gold chain. She fell from the rickshaw and died.

* January 2008: When a Jalandhar-based family protested overcharging at a parking lot at Dharam Singh Market, a group of goons thrashed its men.

These unholy happenings have shocked the visitors to the Holy City, which is anything but safe for thousands of tourists and pilgrims.

So pathetic is the situation that taxi drivers, parking lot contractors, beggars and anti-social elements do not miss an opportunity to fleece the pilgrims. The Tourists’ Centre, to be developed by the state government near Railway Station to provide information on site-seeing in and around the city, is just a dirty make-shift room, which doubles up as a public lavatory. There is no place from where tourists can get help for hiring taxis or avail vital information for tourist destinations.

Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) local head Gunbir Singh said the Golden Temple attracts more visitors than Taj Mahal daily. “And then there is Jallianwala Bagh, Durgiana Temple, Ram Tirath Temple and the much-loved Attari border post, where the daily Retreat Ceremony, jointly by the Pakistan Rangers and Border Security Force is a rare treat,” he said, adding that the facilities for the tourists were zilch, and they often fall prey to the touts of hoteliers.

Traffic congestion, absence of public transport and piles of dirt and garbage in every nook and corner of the city make it unwelcoming for the tourists, whose number had seen a surge following the start of international flights from Rajasansi International Airport.

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) state convener Dr Sukhdev Singh said Amritsar should be developed as a major tourist destination and tourism circuits linked with Faridkot, Bathinda and Patiala, which have rich cultural heritage, should be promoted. “But there seems no political will. We had often taken up the matter of providing basic facilities to the tourists with the government, but to no avail,” he said.

He added that the district administration has also failed to completely acquire the Gobindgarh Fort, which can be developed as a major tourist attraction as it showcases the rich history of the times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Dr Harkanwaljit Singh, a Guru Nanak Dev University professor and member of Intach, narrating a story, said when he was travelling to Delhi by a train recently, his co-passenger, a Korean who had entered India through Attari, said he wanted to visit some tourists places, but there was no information centre here. “He had heard about the Golden Temple and even Jallianwala Bagh and had one full day to spare for sight-seeing, but as there was no help, he spent the day sitting at the railway platform and took an evening train to Delhi,” he said.

However, the Tourism Police concept, an initiative by SSP Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, is the only redeeming factor. “The concept is seen as a positive step,” said Gunbir Singh.