Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 15: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) said today that only 2.56 per cent yatris fly by chopper while .87 per cent travel by battery cars for pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji while rest of the pilgrims undertake journey by foot or hiring horses, pithoos and palkiwallahs.
With horse owners, pithoos and palkiwallahs stepping up their agitation against the proposed opening of new track by the Shrine Board from Katra to Adh-Kunwari alleging that the Board would ply battery cars on the track, SMVDSB CEO Ajit Kumar Sahu came out with the figures to clarify that helicopters and battery cars cater to very limited number of pilgrims.
Citing figures, Sahu said only 2.56 per cent pilgrims (5.11 per cent on clubbing to and fro movement) can avail helicopter services while .87 per cent yatris (1.74 per cent by clubbing to and fro movement) can travel by battery operated vehicles.
He said out of 1.04 crore pilgrims, who visited Mata Vaishno Devi ji shrine in 2012, only 4,36,749 travelled by helicopter and 68,174 by battery operated vehicles.
During current year up to October, out of 67,20,694 yatris, only 4,79, 199 flew by chopper and 1,55,852 by battery cars.
Taking the figures of pilgrimage of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 up to October only 5.11 per cent people undertook yatra by air and 2.73 per cent by battery cars.
“No new battery operated vehicles have been purchased or were being purchased at present, as case is pending with National Green Tribunal (NGT)”, Sahu said, adding that it will take time in operationalizing the new track from Katra to Adh-Kunwari.
He said it was impossible to run even 10 Battery Operated Vehicles on new track at a time leave aside 100 or 200 vehicles as rumours go. Turning radius and space constraints make it difficult for movement of large number of vehicles, he added.
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