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| VIPs will have to queue up for Vaishno Devi darshan | | Vaishno Devi shrine scraps paid entry scheme | | Early Times Reporter
Katra | June 12
Withdrawing the recently introduced paid priority darshan system, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board today decided to scrap all modes of priorities for out of queue darshan at the Holy Cave Shrine.
Announcing this here this afternoon, after interacting with the Committee set up to examine the issue, Governor and Chairman, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) Lt. General (Retd) S K Sinha said the system had been introduced on experimental basis. However, respecting the popular demand, it has been decided to dispense with all sorts of priorities including the paid ones, he added.
General Sinha said the Board would soon devise a mechanism to provide for sort of facilitation for the staff of the Shrine Board including the members of Security Forces and some special categories. However, this will be minimal, he maintained and said that no blank slips will be issued as was being done previously, which had led to black marketing and corruption. Modalities for this are being worked out, he added.
After discussing the problems faced by the devotees in the wake of transport strike all over the State, general Sinha asked the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Arun Kumar and Additional C E O, Manoj Dwedi to ensure free langer for stranded pilgrims at Katra besides free accommodation at Trikuta Bhavan till the strike ends. He also asked the CEO to work out some permanent arrangement for such contingencies so that poor pilgrims don't suffer.
The Board had set up a 3-member panel to look into the whole gamut of priority system for the Cave Shrine recently. The members apprised him about their meetings with a cross section of people and representatives of various socio-political organizations and shared their interim findings with him. The paid darshan system was for a paltry segment of pilgrims numbering not more than 1000 compared to daily arrival of over 30,000 pilgrims to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, with the remaining about 29,000 having free darshan.
Later, the Governor went round the Institute of Medical Excellence at Kakriyal and took stock of the pace of work on the Rs 200 crore project, which is likely to be completed by September this year.
The Director of the Institute, Lt. General (Retd) L P Sadhotra and engineers working on the project briefed the Governor about the progress on various disciplines of the Hospital.
Principal Secretary to Governor and Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB, Dr Arun Kumar, Vice Chancellor, SMVDSB, Prof N K Bansal and Additional CEO, Manoj Dwedi were also accompanying the Governor |
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