Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 24: Former Sadar-e-Riyasat and MP, Dr Karan Singh has stressed on enhancement of yatra duration to holy cave of Amarnath in view of increasing pilgrims rush every year.
In a statement issued here today, he said that his family has been associated with the Yatra management for over 100 years and in 1949 when he started performing pooja in holy shrine for the first time, 5000 yatris had visited that year and now this number has increased a lot.
Dr Singh, who strongly advocated for increase in yatra duration said earlier it used to be of 10 days and last darshan was performed on Sawan Purnima. However when the yatra should begin depends on clearance of track of snow.
He said during the year when there is a heavy snow fall the track will be opened late resulting in delay in yatra while when there is less snow fall the track can be opened at an earlier date and yatra can also be started at an earliest, he added.
Dr Singh however maintained that during the year when there is heavy snow fall it would be risky to send pilgrims for darshan.
Maintaining that he has neither any link with State Government nor Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), he said on enquiry from Shri Shri Ravi Shanker the Member of SASB he was informed that there was such a heavy snow fall this year that it was difficult to start yatra at an earlier date as it would prove very risky.
He said it is strange that the yatra duration is decreasing and it needs more attention. Dr Singh said if people in Switzerland can live for 12 months a year and in Europe there is always a heavy snowfall but the people don’t stop working in Winter season and can’t we send a road clearing equipment to the track which can clear it at an earlier date.
This will result in increasing the yatra period, he said, adding this can help in increasing yatra duration. He urged the Board and Government should pay attention to this issue immediately.
Dr Singh while stressing on security of pilgrims said the yatris can’t be sent to any halting place till there are proper arrangements of security in view of attacks by militants during past.
He warned that the Government will be taken to task by the people in the event of any security risk, he added.
He while stressing on proper facilities to pilgrims said besides the medical facilities there should be proper arrangements for toilet facilities enroute as due to lack of toilet facilities the entire stream at Pahalgam gets polluted.
In addition to it there should be proper shelter facilities for the pilgrims visiting the holy cave, he added.
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