news details |
|
|
| Vohra for enhanced facilities at Katra as Vaishno Devi pilgrimage poised to touch 10 mn mark | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
KATRA, Nov 24: As the yatra to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is all set to touch the 10 million mark a year, Governor N N Vohra, today urged all concerned Government departments and the Shrine Board to brace up and work in tandem for raising a matching infrastructure for the visiting pilgrims at the base camp of Katra.
"Pilgrim tourism has emerged as a big boon to the State economy and all necessary measures are required to be taken for sustaining this activity, along side the traditional tourism", the Governor said while chairing a high level meeting here this morning to review the pace of ongoing development and to assess basic infrastructural requirements in Katra, as also en-rounte the Cave Shrine.
Vohra called for a hollistic approach in addressing vital sectors like the road development, power and drinking water supply, health and hygiene and medicare facilities.
The Governor, who is also Chairman, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), said that the annual yatra to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine had crossed the 72 lakh mark during the last calendar year while 60 lakh pilgrims had already paid obeisance so far this year, notwithstanding the disruptions during over two months this summer.
The meeting discussed in detail various important issues, including the shifting of the Bus Stand Katra and upgrading the existing one, inadequate availability of drinking water, Katra-Ban Ganga Road Project, Darshni Deodi to Balini Bridge road, construction of pedestrian path on the right side of the Bus Stand to Ban Ganga Road, Auto stand, approaches to the Railway Station, frequent power failure in Katra and the Bhawan and the laying of special transmision line for Katra. The meeting also discussed infrastructural improvement and up-gradation of Katra Hospital, Community Health Centre, Katra, construction of 2 additional wards( one for male and another for female), diagnostic equipment, Drainage & Sewerage, Soil Conservation and the Master Plan of Katra,
The District Development Commissioner, Reasi, Mr Sanjeev Verma, informed the Governor that the remodeling of the existing Bus Stand would require Rs. 5 crores. For this purpose about 200 kanals of land has been identified for which Rs 20 crore would be required. Regarding the Katra-Ban Ganga Road Project, he said that a proposal of Rs 4.92 crore has already been drawn. Mr Verma said that the approach road to the Railway Station was apace at a cost of Rs 8.62 crore.
About the uninterrupted power and drinking water supply, the District Development Commissioner stressed the need for laying a special transmission line for ensuring power supply to the Bhavan, which is estimated to cost Rs 1.25 crore. To augument the water supply in the town, he said that arrangments will have to be made for additional 12 lakh gallons a day, as the town was presently getting only 6.50 lakh gallons a day.
Vohra gave specific instructions to the concerned Secretaries, Chief Engineers and others for devising schemes to ensure uninterruped power and drinking water supply in the town, in view of the increasing pilgrim rush and therising local requirements. He said that a futuristic plan was immensely required for the pilgrim destination like Katra and called for close synergy between various service-providing departments to create the required infrastructural facilities in the area.
The Governor also visited the the Bus Stand and inspected the propsed site for the new Bus Stand.
Principal Secretary to Governor, Mr. B.B.Vyas, Commissioner Secretary, Health, Mr Atal Duloo, Secretary PWD, Mr Shailendra Kumar, Addl. Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB, Mr Manoj Diwedi, District Development Commissioner, Reasi, Mr Sanjeev Verma, besides various Heads of Departments and Chief Engineers, and the President, Municipal Committee, Katra, Mulkh Raj Purohit and senior officers of other departments participated in the meeting. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
