Jammu,June 21 (Scoop News) -All Jammu Hotels & Lodges Association (AJHLA) has expressed serious concern over divergent and contradictory statements being made by different authorities in the Central and State governments about the threat perception from terrorists to Shri Amarnath Yatra this year.
AJHLA in a statement said that these statements about the Yatra being on terrorists radar this year made by the GOC in C Northern Command and later endorse by the Union Home Minister and at the same contradicted by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is only creating confusion among the prospective pilgrims to Shri Amarnath as well as the stakeholders in the Yatra in general, AJHLA has observed.
A meeting of the association held here today under the Chairmanship of its President Indeerjeet Khajuria contended that there should be a coordinated assessment of the security situation and threat perception to the Yatra. If at all there are authentic inputs with the intelligence and security agencies about added threat to the Yatra, this year, the security arrangements should be further upgraded, without creating any scare among the prospective pilgrims. While the authorities should take no chance and put in force multi tier security to the Yatra, airing the same publically only creates scare and panic among the pilgrims and is not in the interest of the pilgrimage, the association has added.
At the same time AJHLA has flayed the separatist outfits, both headed by Ali Shah Geelani and Maulvi Omar Farooq terming the threat perception to the Yatra, as stated by some agencies, as a conspiracy to malign there anti national movement. It has also condemned the demand made by Ali Shah Geelani that Yatra period should be curtailed to 15 days and the number of pilgrims performing the Yatra should be restricted. The implicit threats from the anti national separatist forces incite the trouble makers and terrorist to target the Yatra, AJHLA has observed.
The Jammu hoteliers association has hailed the decision by the SASB to set up three current registration centres for Amarnath pilgrims in Jammu city and deciding that no current registration will be made at Baltal or Nunwan. AJHLA had been always advocating against current registration at Baltal and Nunwan, which created unmanageable rush at these places, where there is no adequate space and infrastructure. It has however demanded that at the three current registration centres to be set up in Jammu city, adequate arrangements to facilitate the pilgrims should be provided. The medical check up system for providing medical clearance certificate at these centres should not be cumbersome, to cause harassment and hardship to the pilgrims undergoing medical check up. Further the centre should be provided with shelters for the pilgrims to be spared of scorching heat of sun and rain shower. At these centres proper seating arrangements and cold water facility should be provided, the association has further demanded.
The association has also expressed concern over reports of pilgrims being fleeced at various medical check up centres in the country, for issuing health fitness certificates to the pilgrims. The pilgrims have complained that they are being charged upto Rs 5000 each for getting heath fitness certificate by the medical authorities authorized by the SASB to issue these certificates. The SASB should fix the reasonable fee to be charged by the medical authorities authorized by it to hold medical check ups of the pilgrims and issue them health fitness certificate, which is mandatory for undertaking the Yatra.
The others who were present besides, Indeerjeet Khajuria, included Ajay Gupta Senior Vice President, H S Manhas Vice President, Pawan Gupta General Secretary, Baldev Raj Treasurer, Vikram Singh Secretary, Sunil Suri Secretary.
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