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| Proposal to construct 48 km 'alternative' road mooted in 2004 'unheeded' | | Amarnath yatra duration row | | BHARAT BHUSHAN
JAMMU, May 19: To avoid the curtailment of the duration of holy Amarnath yatra and restore it to its original four-month period, a high level meeting held in New Delhi in 2004 had proposed the construction of 48-km-long Chandanwari-Sangam-Baltal road.
The meeting, chaired by Jagmohan in his capacity as union minister of tourism and culture, was attended by ex-J&K governor and Shri Amarnath Shrine Board chairman S K Sinha, former defence secretary Ajay Bikram Singh, IAS officer Parvaiz Dewan as a special invitee and senior board members.
Sangam is 3 km short of the natural and highly revered cave that houses the holy ice lingam in the south Kashmir Himalayas. Chandanwari and Baltal are already having a good road connectivity.
Sources privy to the meeting said it was agreed in principle to construct a motorable road from Chandanwari to Sangam and then from Sangam to Baltal.
All had agreed on the decision of making the road and appreciated the proposal, the sources added.
Army chief (retired) N C Vij too had put his stamp of consent on the proposed project, also known as Amarnath circuit, as he held the view that a road in the hitherto treacherous and snow-covered mountains would facilitate troop movement during anti-militancy operations.
But the move could not mature. Local ponywalas were the first to oppose it ostensibly because a road for pilgrims meant the end of their business.
The road would have bypassed Srinagar, which seems to be another reason for the project's "death".
The state forest department was termed as another hurdle in the project execution. Quoting an incident, sources said ex-forest minister Tariq Hamid Qarra had seized the machinery when the work was started on Ranga Morh-Sangam stretch as part of the Amarnath circuit.
"The foundation stone still stands at Ranga Morh," the sources added, saying there were too many forces in the valley who never wanted the project to take off.
Jagmohan had initially sanctioned Rs 20 cr for the project and released Rs 1 cr soon thereafter. It was also agreed in the meeting to take immediate steps for the development of infrastructure en route the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva.
Sources emphasised the need for taking requisite steps to construct the proposed road for the convenience of lakhs of pilgrims who visit the shrine every year from different parts of the country and abroad.
BJP leader Arun Jaitley too raised his concern in Rajya Sabha Wednesday last over the "progressive" curtailment of duration of Amarnath yatra. He had urged the government to restore it to its original four-month period to enable more people to take part in the pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage is unique due to the natural formation of ice lingam in the cave where Lord Shiva told goddess Parvati the secrets of immortality. Amarnath is regarded as one of the principal Hindu dhams.
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