Easing yatra registration need of the hour – Katra Hotel Association exhorts CEO SMVD Shrine Board

27 December 2022

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Katra, Dec 27: While speaking to a joint delegation of Hotel & Restaurant Association, Katra (HRAK) & Federation of Hotels, Restaurants, Industries & Commerce of Jammu Region (FHRICJR), comprising of their President Rakesh Wazir, HRAK Chairman Shyam Lal Kesar, Sr.Vice President Virender Kesar, Vice Presidents Nishant Sharma, Vivek Sharma, Executive Member Neeraj Jamwal, Manohar lal and others, Chief Executive Officer Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Anshul Garg said that every effort is being made by the Board to provide best facilities to the Yatries of Maa Vaishnodevi ji and keeping in view of that major projects at Bhawan and enroute have been started and particularly in near past and the focus of the Shrine Board is to have best facilities for the yatries so that more and more yatries visit Vaishnodevi ji.

According to a media statement issued to Ziraat Times, Mr.Wazir, while speaking on the occasion, besides complimenting the CEO for having record Yatra of 90 lacs till date this year after 9 years, said that the pilgrims of the this age, want to have good facilities and the better management of the institutions and suggested series of steps and more particularly emphasized to simplify the process of Yatra Registration and more particularly the RFID system wherein each member of the family have to stand in the que and some times lines to take these RFID cards become too long and become cause of hardship to yatries and suggested that besides prioritizing the online registration asked for starting of the old system of issuing of waiting slips during peak season at Katra & Bhawan so that Yatries may not have to stand in the que for hours and may come on their number only,besides adopting other alternative steps because those too can serve the purpose without inconvenience to the pilgrims.

Mr.Wazir further suggested series of steps for the betterment of yatra including proper cleaning of Vaishnodevi tracks on 24 hour basis,reservation of seats for senior citizen,handicapped,cancer and other patients in Helicopter and Battery car tickets, Kar Sewa on the pattern of Darbar Sahib,self washing of foot points before entering cave,starting of light and sound at Katra, Ropeway from Katra to Shanker Acharya and early completion of Shanker Acharya temple,early revival of old traditional route of Vaishnodevi ji through Deva Mai,early start of proposed theme park at Katra,liberal film shootings policy for films ,TV serials etc. though may be in lean season, providing of good quality photographs from the website of Shrine Board,publicity through festivals like Navratra Festival in a big way etc.,making of beautiful Ghat at Banganga,publicising and developing places of pilgrim intrest around Katra like Shiv Khori, Nau Devian, Dhansar etc, advance health care facility at Bhawan, Sanji Shatt and Katra and especially between Adhkuwari & Sanjichhat where deaths happen due to heart attacks,proper waiting number for helicopter tickets on the pattern of IRCTC tickets.

Mr.Shyam lal Kesar while speaking on the occasion said that the need of the hour is this that a joint strategy be evoloved wherein the Yatra of Vaishnodevi ji and Shiv Khori be strategized jointly because both the pilgrim places have got the potential of attracting lacs & lacs of people and can give employment to lacs of people besides development of whole area.

He said that it is a live case study wherein Yatras of Vaishnodevi ji & Shiv Khori increased many folds in past and if Shrine Board becomes a medium in promoting and facilitating the Yatra of Shiv Khori by way of Shrine board’s different mediums and infrastructure like usage of Shrine Board’s website,putting of small Boards enroute Bhawan,starting of Helicopter Service from Katra to Shiv Khori etc. and its positive impact would be there on both the pilgrimage places and both these destinations will compliment each other and Union Territory will grow in totality.
Mr.Virender Kesar while speaking on the occasion said that it is very important that we should keep on upgrading ourselves regularly and while giving example he said that once the famous and only religious pilgrimage places of India like Char Dhams etc. became stagnant in the increase in Yatra and instead lesser known pilgrimage places within past 30-40 years like Vaishnodevi ji,Tirupati,Shirdi Sai Baba ji, Shani Shignapur,Shiv Khori etc. increased by many folds, because the management, facilities, positive publicity policy in addition to faith was very good overthere. He said that all out efforts are required to be made to increase the facilities, infrastructure and concrete long term strategy in this regard.

Mr.Anshul Garg listened the delegation patiently and assured that sympathetic consideration would be given to each and every point referred in the discussion.