Katra observes bandh against new ropeway project

Jammu, Dec 18: Katra today observed a badh against the new ropeway project.

A number of people including traders, labourers and other workers associated with pilgrimage joined the protest calling for shelving the project. However, the Shri Mata Vaishnoo Devi Sangarsh Samiti has also suspended it's strike till December 23 after an hour long meeting with district administration.

The row over this new ropeway project at Shri Mata Vaishnoo is prevailing for last two weeks with multiple protests have taken place.

On Wednesday, a peaceful Katra Bandh call was given by Shri Mata Vaishnoo Devi Sangarsh Samiti and this strike call affected normal life badly as most of the business establishments were close making devotees to suffer. Besides, auto rikshaw operators also joined in the protest with traders, shopkeepers, labourers were already a part of it.

The protesters besides holding dharna at Shalimar Garden Katra also carried out a protest rally raising slogan in favour of their demands that primarily included stopping the work and shelving the project for installation of a new ropeway at pilgrimage route. They were also demanding not to extend new expressway upto Tarakote Marg besides quashing FIR registered against poor labourers after earlier incidents of protests.

Various trade union leaders, political and social leaders also joined in the protest under the banner of Shri Mata Vaishnoo Devi Sangarsh Samiti with district administration Reasi headed by Deputy Commissioner Nidhi Malik and Senior Superintendent of Police Paramvir Singh held hours long discussion on demands and other issues.

"We had hours long meeting with our district administration. Although the administration had not promised us or assure us that work of new ropeway will be stopped and project will be shelved but administration had seek some time and if is our moral responsibility to extend cooperation to our administration," members of Shri Mata Vaishnoo Devi Sangarsh Samiti said while addressing the protesters after attending the meeting.

They said, " After consulting all the stakeholders, we are announcing to suspend our strike till 2 PM on December 22 but if no concrete step to address our issues are taken than a fresh meeting will be called at 2 PM on 22nd December and we will decide our further course of action."