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| After Omar, now Police substantiates 'no permanent structures' exist enroute to shrine | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar/Jammu Oct 31: Hardly less than a fortnight when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dares hardliner separatist leader Geelani on Amarnath road on Oct 20, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday rejected reports of permanent structures being set up on the road leading to the Amarnath shrine. Inspector General of Police (IGP) S M Sahai after undertaking an aerial survey of the route to the shrine at Baltal along with a group of journalists who were especially were asked to accompany him on to the shrine and back for authenticity that there exists no permanent feature enroute to holy cave shrine situated in South Kashmir. While reacting to separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's claim that permanent structures are being set up on the road to Amarnath, regarded as an ecologically sensitive area in the Himalayan range, IGP Sahai initiated an aerial survey 9after due permission from State government) to counter Geelani's claim about construction material has been dumped along the route to the shrine. After the aerial survey, IGP Sahai while interacting with media persons said, "Well, you have seen for yourself what are the activities going on the track. As far as I understand there is none. I think the whole misconception that is being created around the activities on the track to the cave needs to be cleared. There is no concept of a road; there is no concept of a makeover session. As far as it goes for this year, you would have seen that the weather will not permit any activity. And next year by the time the Yatra (pilgrimage) is to start, is around the time when the snow actually begins to melt. So at the best that can happen is the normal track improvement which is done annually." Claiming about some photographic evidences, Geelani had threatened to launch an agitation if the state government did not shelve its plans to set up structures and an all-weather road. Reacting to these allegations, Sahai said that all these claims are pre-fabricated allegations made to create a stir over the issue. "Those are photographs which are of pre-fabricated structures set up partly. Secondly keeping with the guidelines of the Supreme Court and the environmental condition there is a requirement for the sanitation to be there. Now for that purpose there we have to create some facilities so that the sanitation over there does not impact the environment. That is what is to be created there and nothing more than that. There are no permanent structures of any kind coming up," added Sahai. He further mentioned that the Baltal route towards the shrine is being specially taken care of because it is the most preferred way of the pilgrims, and that there are no permanent structures along it as alleged by Geelani. "There is absolutely no activity in that case. So I think the entire misconception needs to be sorted out," said Sahai. Pertinent to mention, earlier Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday took the senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani head-on challenging him to prove that a concrete road was being laid in Baltal area to the Amarnath cave shrine on October 20. Challenging the veracity of Geelani's statement made here yesterday that a macadamized road was being laid in Baltal, Omar said, "I will keep two helicopters of the state at your (Geelani's) disposal. You should take a photographer of your choice with you to carry out an aerial inspection of Pahalgam and Baltal routes.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India had taken suo-motu cognisance of high number of deaths of the pilgrims during the pilgrimage and directed the state government to improve the condition of the tracks and provide necessary healthcare and other facilities for bringing down casualties. |
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