JAMMU: Expressing concern over the ongoing shutdown in the holy town of Katra against the proposed
ropeway project
, J&K’s deputy chief minister, Surinder Choudhary, said the project is ill-advised and, that, development can’t come at the cost of employment.
Katra, base camp for the
Vaishno Devi pilgrimage
in Jammu, remained shut for the fifth consecutive day on Sunday in protest against the proposed ropeway project in the Trikuta hills.
Baldev Raj Sharma, BJP’s MLA, also joined the protest and threatened to sit on a hunger strike if 18 members of
Sangharsh Samiti
who were detained earlier are not released within 24 hours.
Choudhary, who visited Katra on Sunday, told reporters that if the people of Katra do not want a ropeway, which would take away the livelihood of 40,000 people, the shrine board and the lieutenant governor, who is chairman of the board, should listen to them and address their concerns.
Choudhary said all political parties have to unitedly fight the cause of Katra and added that development can’t come at the cost of employment.
“I have taken the full report and will submit it to the chief minister, Omar Abdullah,” Choudhary said.
He said he would meet the chairman of the shrine board, Manoj Sinha, and, that, he hoped Sinha would intervene and solve the issue soon.
Underscoring the religious significance of the
traditional pilgrimage route
, he said key holy sites like Ban Ganga, Charan Paduka, Ardh Kuwari, and Hathi Matha would be bypassed if the ropeway project is implemented.
“This will damage the sanctity of the pilgrimage, as these spots are integral to the spiritual experience of the pilgrimage,” he said.
Apart from Baldev Sharma, the Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) and Chamber of Commerce and Industries Jammu (CCI-J) have extended their support to protestors and demanded early release of the detained members of Sangharsh Samiti.
On November 30, PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, also requested Manoj Sinha to reconsider the ropeway project.
