Jammu, Nov 24: Hundreds of shopkeepers and labourers took out a protest march on Sunday, the third day of their strike against a proposed ropeway project along the trek route to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, as the organisers extended the strike by 24 hours, officials said.
The protesters also held sit-ins at several places in Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the shrine atop Trikuta hills, raising slogans against its board and the ropeway project, which they feel would render them jobless.
The three-day strike called by shopkeepers and pony and palanquin owners began on Friday after the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board announced plans to proceed with the Rs 250 crore ropeway project between Tarakote Marg and Sanji Chhat along the 12 km route to be completed within two years.
“The 72-hour strike has been extended by another 24 hours. We will meet again and announce our future course of action,” a member of the joint committee of shopkeepers and pony and palanquin owners said.
Earlier on Sunday, the protesters held a peaceful rally along the traditional route to the shrine, demanding immediate withdrawal of the proposed project or proper rehabilitation of all families likely to be affected by it.
Most of the shops along the trek route up to 3 km remained closed for a third day on Sunday, with pony and palanquin owners refusing to provide service to the pilgrims, causing hardships to many devotees.
Joining the protesters on Sunday, Manish Sahni, chief of the J-K unit of Shiv Sena (UBT), said the ropeway project was akin to hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu devotees besides harming the interests of those providing services to the pilgrims.
Congress leader and local labour union head Bhupinder Singh Jamwal reiterated his demand that the government should come out with a rehabilitation plan for the people to be affected by the project, suggesting a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to each labourer.
Last week, the shrine board announced the implementation of the long-awaited ropeway project to facilitate a safer and faster journey for the pilgrims.
“The project will be a game-changer, especially for the pilgrims who find the steep trek to the shrine challenging,” shrine board CEO Anshul Garg said. The project had been shelved in the past due to similar protests.
