Jammu’s Katra will likely be observing an entire shutdown on Wednesday, December 18, to protest the proposed ₹250-crore ropeway connecting Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat, which ends up in the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine located in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
This determination for full shutdown was reportedly taken throughout a gathering of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti comprising shopkeepers, pony and palanquin house owners who expressed concern concerning the mission’s potential impression in town’s financial system.
These opposing the mission argue that the ropeway will divert pilgrims from Katra’s market, leaving a detrimental impression on 1000’s of shopkeepers and repair suppliers there.
Chanting slogans towards the shrine board for establishing a ropeway alongside the trek, a whole bunch of individuals on December 15 took out a rally by means of the primary market in Katra, which is the bottom camp for pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
Ongoing protests over Vaishno Devi ropeway mission
Former minister Jugal Kishore Sharma additionally joined the rally which began from the Shalimar Park and concluded on the bus stand, with contributors additionally demanding launch of individuals arrested in reference to an FIR lodged final month following a conflict between the anti-ropeway protesters and police.
Final month as properly, shopkeepers, labourers, and pony and palanquin house owners engaged on the trek staged large protests for 4 days after the shrine board determined to go forward with the passenger ropeway mission.
“We imagine this mission is ill-conceived and is like enjoying with our non secular sentiments in addition to making the stakeholders jobless. We’ve got already made it clear to the divisional commissioner-led committee constituted by the lieutenant governor on the difficulty repeatedly,” information company PTI quoted former minister Jugal Kishore Sharma as saying. He mentioned the protesters weren’t towards the shrine board however towards the ropeway mission.
“The central authorities and lieutenant governor instantly put a halt to the mission which we imagine will destroy the pilgrimage and in addition hit Katra economically,” he added.
Sharma mentioned the Samiti has determined to renew the protest which was suspended on the peace of mind of the district administration final month.
“We had been promised an answer on the difficulty by December 15 however nothing was accomplished. They haven’t revered our demand for revocation of FIR and as a substitute arrested the protesters,” he mentioned, looking for help of the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Jammu Bar Affiliation to the protesters.
President of Vaishno Devi Trek Mazdoor Union, Bhupinder Singh Jamwal, mentioned 5 members of the Samiti will even sit on a starvation strike in the course of the Katra bandh on December 18.
“We wish a written assurance both from the lieutenant governor or residence minister that no ropeway will likely be constructed,” he mentioned.
