Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 28: All Travel Trade Associations of Jammu demanded allocation of quota to all the beneficiary associations.
Addressing a press conference, Raminder K Samhotra on behalf of All Travel Trade Associations of Jammu said that they are the stakeholders of Tourism Fraternity to promote various types of tourism and contribute major share in economic growth, development and alleviation of tourism infrastructure throughout the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Tourism Industry is the main sufferer due to COVID-19 pandemic and has been at the receiving end or this pandemic. The monetary and pecuniary losses incurred to the entire tour and travel fraternity is immeasurable and all the stakeholders have been bearing this economic brunt from last three years”, he added.
He stated that Shri Amarnath Yatra was withheld due to civil and political unrest caused due to the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A and subsequently in the year 2020 and 2021 due to the prevalent Standard Operating Protocols and social distancing norms issued by the Union Government of India. This year we all were hoping that the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra will resume and the Shrine Board will allocate heli-ticketing quote to all the beneficiary associations under the guidelines issued by Vyas Committee. To our utter dismay and grief, the Shrine Board decided to revoke the prevalent practice of allocation of Ticketing Quota which is unfair.
“We failed to understand that the Delhi High Court adjudicated the matter in what capacity as Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board is a statutory body and the officers gets paid out of the consolidated fund of India i.e tax payers money”, he said, adding that it is a holy nexus of the Shrine Board members, Aviation companies and some thugs action as so called flag bearers of the Tourism Industry in J&K.
He added that the action of the Delhi High Court is unconstitutional and the quota should be allocated to all beneficiary associations.
Among others present were Nitika Aggarwal, Arun Khajuria and Raghav Bali