Jammu, March 23 (Scoop News) – About Rs. 16.23 lakhs has been expended on sanitation of 32 Kms Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine track during last three years.
This was stated by the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Nawang Rigzin Jora in reply to a question of Rafi Ahmad Mir, regarding engagement of local casual labourers for sanitation of the track during Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, in Legislative Assembly today.
The Minister said that sanitation process of the entire 32 kms Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine track along with the langer camp sites was assigned to Pahalgam Development Authority in 2010 whereas the sanitation job was entrusted to stage contractors in 2009 as per the past practice.
The Minister said that about Rs. 16.23 lakhs have been expended for sanitation of the 32 kms Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra track during last three years including 8 lunger sites. He said the yatra lasted for 60 days in 2008, 40 days in 2009 and for 55 days in 2010.
Jora said some persons were engaged as casual labourers on need basis for sanitation purpose during Shri Amar Nath Ji Yatra in 2008. The total number of such casual labourers was 44 and a total amount of Rs. 3.21 lakhs was paid to them as wages. He said as per records, from the date of creation of Pahalgam Development Authority no casual labourer has been engaged for sanitation purpose during the yatra period except in the year 2008, who were engaged on experimental basis.
It was observed that the causal labourers could not render satisfactory performance. Even some causal labourers had left the job half way, which had created a lot of inconvenience during the yatra period. Moreover, the casual labourers were engaged only for 8 camp / langer sites, the Minister added. He said the casual labourers were asking for regular continuation of their engagement, which was not possible, with the result in the year 2009 no causal labourer was engaged and the job of the sanitation was assigned to stage contractors as per past practice and subsequently, in the year 2010, the same process was adopted.
Jora said during the year 2010 the sanitation process for the entire 32 kms of track along with the langer / camp sites was assigned to Pahalgam Development Authority.