Lucknow: A project to build a ropeway along the trek to Vaishno Devi temple will surely be good news for tourists and pilgrims who throng the sacred Shaktipeeth located in Katra, near Jammu.
However, the locals are not at all happy, with shopkeepers, pony service providers and labourers expressing their displeasure over the proposed ropeway.
On Monday, protesters clashed with police at the Katra base camp in Jammu & Kashmir’s Reasi district, resulting in several people getting injured.
Hundreds of shopkeepers, porters and pony service providers took part in a sit-in protest and chanted slogans like ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.
Their main contention is that the ropeway project will bypass the traditional route, on which their livelihoods depend.
A 72-hour strike, called on November 22, was extended by another day, till Monday.
Protesters confronted a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle attempting to pass through the demonstration site. Chaos ensued, and the vehicle’s windshield was shattered as stones were pelted at J&K police and CRPF personnel.
Police had to intervene to restore order.
Protesters also blocked the main bus stop in Katra from where buses to Vaishno Devi shrine run.
“The law and order situation has become challenging and we are trying to handle it. Officers are in talks with the protesters to resolve the issue,” said Reasi Senior Superintendent of Police Paramvir Singh.
After a 72-hour strike was called initially on November 22, the protest was extended by an additional day. Despite reassurances from authorities, the protesters demand either the complete withdrawal of the project or compensation for the anticipated economic losses.
The authorities sought to calm them with assurances of a rethink, but the protesters are not convinced. They are demanding either complete withdrawal of the project or adequate compensation for anticipated economic losses.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) is planning a Rs 250-crore passenger ropeway project, connecting Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat. The 2.4-kilometre ropeway will shorten the trek to the shrine to just six minutes.
The ropeway, authorities claim, will benefit elderly pilgrims and those with limited mobility.
“We will not allow the ropeway project to be implemented in Katra. We have been fighting against it for three years. Assurances were given to us in the past, but now they have gone ahead with the project,” said Prabhat Singh, a leader of the shopkeepers’ association.