Jammu, June 23: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Working President Raman Bhalla urged the administration on Sunday to ensure the smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra. He stressed the need for all concerned agencies to enforce sustained close watch and maintain effective coordination to ensure the smooth conduct of the forthcoming Yatra.
Interacting with Amarnath Yatris to review facilities for them, Bhalla said that the government must ensure all possible facilities for Shri Amarnath Yatris arriving at J&K from various states and abroad. He emphasized that all the involved agencies and departments must maintain close coordination to ensure an incident-free Yatra.
The former minister demanded all the line departments work in tandem to ensure that the visiting Amarnath pilgrims get all basic facilities. He urged for regular market inspections to keep a check on overcharging by traders and transporters, besides the quality of food and eatables at hotels, restaurants and roadside vendors.
The Congress leader asked the Power Development Department (PDD) to gear up men and machinery to provide regular power supply at Yatri Niwas and other city areas. He stressed adequate arrangements for medicare facilities at Yatri Niwas.
Bhalla appealed to the Government of India as well as the J&K government not to impose any type of tax on Amarnath Yatris. “Shri Amarnath Shrine Board must cancel any tax on the Yatris travelling to the holy cave via helicopter and toll tax on vehicles entering the State via Lakhanpur border,” he said.
He reviewed the essential services delivery scenario in Jammu and its peripheries, besides the arrangements made by the administration to ensure the smooth conduct of the ensuing Amarnath Yatra.
The JKPCC leader hit out at the Centre and UT administration for failure to control terror activities in the Jammu province. “The BJP government is playing politics by misleading the entire nation regarding the ground situation falsely claiming total normalcy,” he said.
He asked the government to ensure an atmosphere of safety and security and create conducive situations for holding assembly elections as per the schedule fixed by the Supreme Court.
Bhalla further said all religions and religious preachers stand for love, amity and selfless service but their teachings are alarmingly falling silent in the din of hate and greed. To eschew these tendencies, there is an immense need to generate awareness about unity and diversity as professed by religious scholars and sages from time to time, he maintained.
The Congress leader also regretted that the major development projects of Jammu including the Artificial Tawi Lake and Barrage Project, Mubarak Mandi Heritage Project, Jumboo Zoo Project, Cable Car Project, Jammu Smart City Project, Development of Tawi Banks on Sabarmati pattern, New Medical Colleges, AIIMS Project, etc had failed to make any headway.
