Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 10: Expre-ssing its serious concern over the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the State unit of Congress has lashed out on the PDP-BJP Coalition Government for its alleged failure to ensure trouble-free Amarnath yatra, this year.
In a joint statement, issued here today by former Minister Raman Bhalla, PCC general secretaries Vikram Malhotra, Manmohan Singh, Manjit Singh and Faqir Nath, the Congress leaders said that the State Government and top Divisional authorities should own responsibility for creating a chaotic situation in Jammu by not allowing upward traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
“The yatris, stranded at various places on the National Highway due to the abrupt suspension of pilgrimage since 7 pm yesterday following violence in Kashmir Valley, are facing acute hardships owing to lack of proper shelter and other facilities,” Bhalla said. Further, he added, Police has stopped Amarnath-bound vehicles at Lakhanpur, Kathua, Samba, Nagrota, Patnitop and Ramban, thus causing heavy traffic jams. “Police has not only stopped Amarnath bound pilgrims, but also Vaishnodevi pilgrims, Kashmir-bound general people and locals thus causing a chaotic situation, which is enough to explain that there is no governance on the ground,” he said.
The former Minister alleged that the claims made by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board as well as the Government have proved totally hollow and they have got exposed before the people. “The situation is worst at registration counters at Jammu as no proper facilities have been provided by Government either at registration counters of Vaishnavi Dham, Saraswati Dham, Jammu Haat or Geeta Bhawan. The authorities have failed to construct refuge sheds for yatris, who are forced to wait in long queues for registration during the scorching heat or heavy rains,” he said and also termed the coupon system as harassment to pilgrims.
Urging the Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for their personal intervention to ensure smooth pilgrimage, Mr Bhalla said that peaceful Amarnath Yatra could go a long way to reassure tourists and investors that Kashmir is fast returning to normalcy.
JKPCC general secretaries Vikram Malhotra and Manmohan Singh expressed concern over the alleged mismanagement and maladministration in handling Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2016 resulting in its decline at the beginning stage. “The chaos, confusion and the frustration among yatris are forcing them to return to their homes without darshan. It seems that the State Government and the SASB are not interested in running yatra this year as no transport facilities have been made available to the pilgrims from Railway Station to Yatri Bhawan and the registration counters or other places,” they alleged.
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