Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 29: The BJP's demand for inclusion of local MLA as a member of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has stirred up a hornet's nest with NC and other parties opposing it.
The opposition parties, while criticising BJP's demand, said the induction of a BJP MLA in SMVDSB would amount to safronization the board which would not be allowed at any cost. Turning tables on BJP, they said it was a dangerous game plan and warned against any such move, saying that they will not allow RSS hegemony in the shrine board. But BJP, while defending its stand, said any public representative from Reasi constituency could be the member of the board and there was no question of BJP making monopoly in its functioning.
BJP has said that the present composition of the board does not provide for local representation. The members of the shrine board are nominated by the governor without giving any representation to the local people. The criteria for nomination is also not known and hence smacks of favouritism and monopolisation resulting in the neglect of local concerns, alleged BJP spokesperson, Brig Anil Gupta.
According to him, as per the practised norms, elected local MLA has to be ex-officio member of any shrine board which, in this case, means that sitting MLA of Reasi has to be essentially a member of the board irrespective of whether he is from BJP or NC or Congress or PDP. Some people were misinterpreting this, he said.
The locals have been agitating for it for quite some time and have also given a memorandum to the governor. There is no dispute to the fact that eminent and distinguished people need to be nominated to the board but there is also a need to democratise the same by nominating the elected representatives, local eminent citizens and civil servants as is done in other shrine boards like Sri Jagannath Temple Board, Gurvayur Shrine Board, Tirupathi and Sabarimalai Temple Boards.
70-100 lakh devotees visit the holy Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in the Trikuta Hills of Katra every year. Over the years, it has become the most revered shrine in North India resulting in the growth in numbers of the devotees coming from all parts of the country. It is a major source of revenue, providing livelihood to thousands of locals. The shrine is managed by a board with the governor as its ex-officio chairman. "The Shrine Board has done a commendable job over the years but has also faced protests and agitations by the locals who are a major stakeholder in the development of the shrine," Brig Gupta said.
The involvement of the local stakeholders in any envisaged development project was necessary to ensure that their interests 'are looked after while planning the project and it does not affect their livelihood', he added.
BJP is of the opinion that Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine board should be reconstituted to include MP, local MLA, 1-2 local eminent citizens, local DC and SSP as ex-officio members. This would ensure a wider representation and take care of the sentiments of the local stake holders as well, he said |
