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| Yatra tickets sold in black, admits helicopter company's chief | | | Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Anantnag, July 7: Director of the helicopter company operating on Pahalgam-Panjtarni route, on Saturday admitted that Amarnath Yatra air tickets were being sold in black market to pilgrims at exorbitant rates.
Wangchuk Shamshu, Director Himalayan Heli Service Private Ltd, said, "Yes, tickets are being black-marketed, but it is the responsibility of police and other concerned agencies to stop it."
"Different quota has been allotted to different people. Therefore I don't know how they sell these tickets later," he said.
Shamshu informed that local hoteliers' association and sales agents roped in have been allotted a special quota and they can tell how they sell these tickets.
"An agent gets 12 tickets for day while as hoteliers' association 24 on the directions of the Shrine Board," he informed.
As reported earlier, authorities looking after the affairs of Holy Amarnath Yatra have failed to check alleged black marketing of tickets for helicopter services to Holy Cave.
Sources told Early Times that unregistered tour and travels agents at Pahalgam have now roped in several hoteliers to sell these air tickets to pilgrims at very exorbitant rates.
They said that tickets, the helicopter company are supposed to provide pilgrims at their arrival, are being black-marketed. "On spot booking is just a joke and to deceive pilgrims" they said.
They further informed that pilgrims are being forced to wait outside the helicopter helipad premises and in the evening they are being denied tickets.
"The rates of these tickets have only increased during last over few days," they claimed.
At an average a pilgrim is being charged over Rs 9,000 for a ticket despite the fact that the Shrine Board has fixed Rs 5502 for Pahalgam-Panjtarni (round trip) helicopter services.
Sources said that the general sales agents roped in by the helicopter company operating on Pahalgam-Panjtarni route are black marketing air tickets. "An hotelier who is in touch with the company is also black marketing these tickets," sources claimed.
However the shopkeepers at Pahalgam have removed the hoardings that reads 'Amarnath Yatra tickets available'
Many pilgrims who talked to Early Times revealed that they were compelled to purchase packages for helicopter ticket.
"This was also black marketing as we were forced to purchase packages instead of just a helicopter tickets" Chandan, a pilgrim said.
The helicopter company has also put strict conditions for pilgrims intending to book air ticket through their website. Among them is that only one transaction against one user ID, one IP Address, one e-mail address, one mobile number, one ID proof and one credit/debit card can be used for a maximum of 5 tickets in a span of 30 days. However one doesn't understand how agents are then booking these tickets.
Pilgrims urged Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra who is also the chairman of Shrine Board to look into the issue.
"Booking of tickets manually and selling of tickets in packages must be stopped as it encourages illegal profiteering," they demanded. |
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