Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 26: Dr. Jitendra Singh, BJP National Executive Member & J&K Chief Spokesperson, said here today that an unprecedented high death toll and casualty rate during the current Amarnath yatra vindicates the stand taken by the BJP for the last several months that Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) had unreasonably reduced the duration of yatra period to an unusually small length of 39 days but the Board refused to relent because it had made this a prestige issue.
In a statement issued to press Dr Jitendra Singh said with the Shrine Board enjoying administrative and financial control over the management of yatra under Sections 16 and 18 of the Shrine Act of 2000, the Board members and the Chairman owe an explanation to people.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said it is a strange paradox that while on the one hand the number of pilgrims is increasing each successive year, on the other hand the Shrine Board finds it appropriate to further reduce the duration of Yatra each successive year. For example, it was 60 days in 2009, 55 days in 2010, 45 days in 2011 and 39 days this year, he pointed.
Alleging that short duration of yatra is the most important factor leading to so many deaths because of the heavy rush due to over 40,000 pilgrims visiting the shrine each day, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that during the last one year the BJP workers even courted peaceful arrests several times demanding an increase in the duration of the yatra but instead of seeing the rationale, the state authorities and the Shrine Board became more rigid about their decision.
He said the yatra should be thrown open for a longer period of time with provision of timely weather forecasts. He said the state authorities’ argument about inability to complete snow clearing was only a lame excuse because if the Shrine Board had agreed to our suggestion of engaging a professional agency for the task, the work could have been completed much earlier.
Sounding a note of caution, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Shrine Board’s tampering with the yatra dates and duration every year for the last few years has given rise to a dangerous impression that this is being deliberately done at the behest of ruling party to appease the separatists.
This raises a serious question mark on the independent autonomous character of the Shrine Board, he added and demanded reconstituting of the Board with nomination of members through a notified procedure based on guidelines in the Shrine Act and not by the prerogative of the Chairman.
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