Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 26: A delegation of Hotel & Restaurant Association, Katra (HRAK) and PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry Jammu Region (PHDCCI) comprising of Rakesh Wazir- Chairman PHDCCI and president HRAK, Shyam Lal Kesar chairman- HRAK, Virender Kesar -District president Reasi PHDCCI and others met Project Director National Highway Authority of India Ajay Kumar and apprised him that a peculiar type of situation has arisen at Ban Toll Plaza, District Jammu wherein, the renewal of passes to Katra has once again been stopped.
Wazir while speaking on the occasion clarified to the Project Director that as per specified guidelines of the National Highway Authority of India passes to the people of Katra were issued right from the time of opening of the Ban Toll Plaza, after clarifications from then Deputy Commissioners Jammu and Reasi, on the communication from the then Project Director, which specified the areas falling within 20 Kms and Katra was one of them and in addition to that though google is not an agency recognized by Government but still if we see the distance between Katra to Ban it is 16 KMs and in some areas 17 Kms only. Therefore, non-renewal of passes of the people is unjustified and unfair.
Mr Kesar while speaking on the occasion said that stoppage of renewing the already issued passes to more than 800 vehicles that too for the last more than 4 years back i.e. from the time of starting of the Toll Plaza is really surprising. He said NHAI can take clarifications whatever it want to have but renewing of passes should not be stopped.
Virender Kesar said that if renewing of legally issued passes is stopped, it will lead to major law and order problem and its total responsibility will lie on the Toll Post people & NHAI which regulates them.
Ajay Kumar listened the delegation patiently and said that confusion, if any, would be sorted out shortly including taking of fresh report from the Deputy Commissioner, Reasi within 3 months and till the time the renewal of passes will continue as it is.
Ravi Nag, Ward Councillor Katra Muncipality, Koushal Magotra PHDCCI Patnitop president, Press Club Katra president Rakesh Sharma, gen secretary Arun Sharma, senior vice president Sohan Kohli, Amit Sharam, Shubham Sharma and some people from media also accompanied.
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