Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Nov 30: The chief of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, has called upon Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to rethink the planned ropeway construction to the Vaishno Devi shrine, emphasizing that sacred sites should not be commercialized.
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During a press conference in Katra after engaging with anti-ropeway demonstrators, Mehbooba highlighted the detrimental effects the project would have on the livelihoods of local vendors, workers, and others who rely on the pilgrimage. She also insisted on the withdrawal of FIRs against those protesters who faced police action during recent clashes in Katra.
“The Vaishno Devi shrine is revered, a place where devotees come with genuine intentions to seek blessings. The proposed ropeway would bypass significant pilgrimage points and endanger the livelihoods of many locals,” Mehbooba stated.
She pointed out the economic hardships prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, noting that the region holds the highest unemployment rate in India, alongside a lack of government job opportunities and private investment. “While J&K is a major electricity producer, it hardly reaps the benefits of this sector, which is essential for privatization,” she remarked.
The PDP leader also voiced support for the Baridar community, which historically managed the shrine’s operations prior to the establishment of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. “Their concerns about being sidelined must be heard and addressed,” she asserted.
Mehbooba urged the government to place local livelihoods above tourism-oriented projects, proposing that the ropeway could be repositioned to an alternative site.
In related developments, Tariq Hameed Karra, president of Jammu and Kashmir Congress, visited Katra to converse with protesters and Bhupinder Singh Jamwal, president of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti. The demonstrators submitted a memorandum to Karra, expressing apprehensions regarding the effect of the project on the local economy and pilgrimage customs.
