MT News Service
Katra, July 16:
While speaking to a delegation of Hotel & Restaurant Association, Katra comprising of its President Rakesh Wazir,Chairman Shyam Lal Kesar,Sr Vice President Virender Kesar and others Chief Executive Officer Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said that every effort would be made to provide best facilities to the Yatries of Maa Vaishnodevi ji while keeping all Covid protocols and safety norms in mind so that the Yatra of Vaishnodevi ji which has got effected by the Covid may become normal and the activities related to Vaishnodevi ji which had become stand still may come on track. In a statement issued to mercury times, Rakesh Wazir while speaking on the occasion said that the need of the hour is this that a joint strategy be eveloved wherein the Yatra of Vaishnodevi ji and Shiv Khori be strategized jointly in such a way that pilgrimage of both the places may increase simultaneously because both the pilgrim places have got the potential of attracting lacs & lacs of people and can give employment to lacs of people besides development of whole area.
He further said that it is a live case study wherein Yatra of Shiv Khori is increased from 1 lac to 20 lacs in one year in just few years and Yatra of Vaishnodevi ji also crossed one crore in one year figure in such a small time and if SMVD Shrine Board becomes a medium in promoting and facilitating the Yatra of Shiv Khori by way of Shrine board’s different mediums and infrastructure like usage of Shrine Board’s website,putting of small Boards enroute Bhawan,starting of Helicopter Service from Katra to Shiv Khori etc. its positive impact would be there on both the pilgrim places and will change the dynamics of whole J&K and will bring prosperity in whole area.
Shyam Lal Kesar while speaking emphasized for increasing the facilities of Vaishnodevi ji and particularly on the new Tarakote Track including opening of more eating points vis-à-vis opening of the Yatra Slip Counter at Tarakote for the facilitation of the Yatries.
Virender Kesar while speaking on the occasion requested for developing the places of pilgrim/Tourism intrest around Katra vis-à-vis developing the infrastructure, keeping pilgrims intrest in mind like starting of Light and Sound shows on the history of Maa Vaishnodevi ji,developing and where possible and people feel like taking over the management of the pilgrim spots around Katra because Shrine Baord has got the expertise of managing the Shrine of Maa Vaishnodevi ji in a magnificient way and that expertise can be used in other places as well.
Ramesh Kumar listened the delegation patiently and assured that sympathetic consideration would be given to each and every point refered in the discussion and the items which pertains to him would be implemented shortly whereas the items which pertains to other would be taken up with them.