Shutdownin Jammu’s Katra over ropeway project to Vaishno Devi shrine

People at a market closed during a shutdown, in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

A shutdown was observed in Reasi’s Katra by local shopkeepers on Wednesday (December 18, 2024) to oppose a ropeway that will connect Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat, along the 12-kilometre steep track of the Vaishno Devi shrine, in the Jammu region.

“We are fighting for our rights. The board [running the shrine] is out to snatch the bread and butter of over 60,000 families. From hoteliers to shopkeepers, from pony operators to labourers and transporters, all have come out against the ropeway project. The project should be stopped,” Bhupinder Singh Jamwal, president of the Vaishno Devi Trek Mazdoor Union, said.

The shutdown call, issued by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, impacted the business in Katra market. BJP leader Jugal Kishore Sharma also criticised the government for “failing to resolve the issue by the December 15 deadline”.

Meanwhile, the Samiti withdrew the shutdown call on Wednesday afternoon in the wake of fresh assurances from local authorities. The Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, has sought time of five days “to analyse their demands”, members of the Samiti said.

Katra is the base camp for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage. Protests over the ropeway erupted multiple times in the past one month.

L-G chairs 73rd meet of Vaishno Devi Shrine Board

Meanwhile, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired the 73rd Meeting of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board at Raj Bhawan on Wednesday.

An official said the Lieutenant Governor inaugurated and dedicated various pilgrims-centric facilities and laid the foundation stone of the new exit track, which was aimed at decongesting the Bhawan area.

“The Board held a comprehensive and critical review of its past decisions,” officials said.

However, there was no specific statement on the ongoing protests in Katra from shopkeepers opposing the ropeway. The Lieutenant Governor said the Board will “enrich the experience to the visiting pilgrims by improving transparency and efficiency of all services”.

The meeting also accorded approval to tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and THDC India Limited (THDCIL) with an aim to identify and treat slopes that are vulnerable to landslides and rockfalls along the Yatra Route between Adhkuwari and Bhawan.