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Shutdown in Katra against proposed Vaishno Devi ropeway project
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has decided to come up with a ₹250-crore ropeway project between Tarakote and Sanji Chhat for the convenience of elderly and specially abled pilgrims
Fearing loss of livelihood and citing religious sentiments, hundreds of residents of Katra, including traders, mule operators and palanquin bearers, on Tuesday observed a total shutdown to protest against the proposed Vaishno Devi ropeway project.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has decided to come up with a ₹250-crore ropeway project between Tarakote and Sanji Chhat for the convenience of elderly and specially abled pilgrims.
The locals took out a protest march under the banner of ‘Katra Janata’, staged a dharna outside the office of shrine board CEO Anshul Garg and then submitted him a memorandum, seeking shelving of the project.
Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha had on February 20 said that tender process for the ropeway was in its final phase and the project would be undertaken with “utmost sensitivity” to safeguard the interests of local businesses.
“The shrine board is unable to regulate the yatra smoothly. Twelve pilgrims were killed and several injured in a stampede in 2021. Its report is still not in the public domain. They now want to come up with a ropeway project that would not only snatch our livelihoods but also damage the fragile ecology of Trikuta Hills,” said Sahil Thakur, a local leader.
Another protester, Karan Singh, said, “The shrine board has already ruined the pilgrimage by constructing Magarkote track at the cost of old traditional route of Ban Ganga. They want to mint money at the cost of religious sentiments of Hindus, but we would not allow it.”
“They (management) are least concerned about the religious sanctity of the yatra and livelihood of thousands of families dependent on it,” said another leader, Sonu Thakur.
Cutting across party lines, members of the BJP, the Congress and the Democratic Azad Party also joined the protesters.
As per officials, the 2.4-km-long ropeway project will be completed in three years and with this facility, pilgrims can reach the temple complex in just six minutes.
Locals fear that once constructed, the ropeway project would bypass all religious places on the old traditional route. According to local traders, there are 2,000 shops along the traditional track and two lakh people are directly or indirectly linked with the small businesses.
