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| Governor offers Jammuites to handle SASB affairs | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Aug 1
The Governor NN Vohra today made desperate attempts to find some middle path for resolving the ongoing crises as he offered to reconstitute the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and include prominent citizens of Jammu as its members to manage the annual pilgrimage every year.
Beginning this morning, the Governor set off on a series of consultations with top leaders of various political parties and prominent citizens of Jammu. The process of consultations continued for four hours in which neither any representative of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharash Samiti nor any party supporting the agitation participated. Among the leaders of political parties who had meeting with the Governor included National Conference patron Dr Farooq Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh and CPIM leader Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami.
the Governor expressed serious concern over the situation obtaining in Jammu, resulting in enormous economic loss and inconvenience caused to the masses due to the disruption of transport facilities, closure of shops and business, and educational institutions besides the normal activities coming to a standstill.
Vohra said that due to the prevailing situation the arrival of pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and Shri Amarnathji Shrine had declined significantly. Recalling the role of Jammuites in maintaining peace and brotherhood in testing times, the Governor observed that onerous responsibilities lay on their shoulders to keep aloft the torch of peace and secularism at all costs. He cautioned against the elements inimical to national security who always remain on the look out for any disturbed situation and exploit it for furthering their nefarious agenda.
The Governor discounted the circulating misconceptions and made it unequivocally clear that the role and responsibility of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) has not been diluted in anyway whatsoever and declared that the management of the annual Yatra would continue to be among its duties. The State Government, he said, will not meddle in the affairs of the Shrine Board. Being the statutory head of the Shrine Board, he reiterated the statutory duties of the Shrine Board to ensure the safety, security and better facilities for the pilgrims shall not be compromised under any circumstances. He said that the State Government shall fully provide all required logistic support from Lakhanpur to the Cave Shrine both from Baltal and Pahalgam routes and the manning of the Yatra would continue to be the responsibility of the Shrine Board.
The Governor said that he proposed to reconstitute the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board and include several eminent persons of Jammu as its members. To further benefit from the experience of prominent personalities, he also proposed to establish an Advisory Committee to suggest ways and means for ensuring smooth and regulated Yatra every year. He said that the Board is continuing its assigned role in managing the Yatra as per the Act and gave details about the facilities created at Baltal and other Yatra points. He said that various concerned
Government agencies were supplementing the effort in terms of providing facilities to the pilgrims coming from all over the country. He invited representatives from Jammu to see for themselves the temporary facilities created by the Board at Baltal. He informed that the Yatra had crossed 5.36 lakh mark so far, which is an all time high record.
Vohra appealed to the civil society to rise to the occasion and help defuse the situation which has acquired an alarming portent which is not congenial for the maintenance of peace, communal harmony and security of the State, given the overall security environment.
Referring to the initiation of dialogue with Shri Amarnathji Yatra Sangarsh Samiti last evening, Mr. Vohra said that he had heard their view-point and tried to clear their misgivings on many issues relating to SASB and the land. He said the channels of dialogue were open and he is keen to carry it forward in the larger interests of the State. He regretted the misinformation which had been spread in regard to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board that had given rise to many misgivings among the masses. He said that the Government would make public all the facts on this issue and hoped that the sagacious people of the Jammu region would appreciate these in the right perspective.
About 65 prominent citizens from different segments of society gave their assessment of the situation and overwhelmingly emphasized on maintaining peace, amity and brotherhood. They said that the people of Jammu, known for their tolerance and the spirit of brotherhood, are yearning for peace and normalcy |
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