Fearing Job Loss, Locals Clash With Cops Over Vaishno Devi Ropeway Project
NDTV
The protests in Katra stem from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board's (SMVDSB) decision to proceed with a Rs 250-crore passenger ropeway project.
A proposed ropeway project along the trek to the Vaishno Devi shrine has sparked unrest among local shopkeepers, pony service providers, and labourers. Protesters clashed with police today at the Katra base camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district leading to several people getting injured.
The protests in Katra stem from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board's (SMVDSB) decision to proceed with a Rs 250-crore passenger ropeway project connecting Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat. The 2.4-kilometre ropeway, expected to shorten the trek to just six minutes, aims to benefit pilgrims, particularly the elderly and those with limited mobility. However, locals fear the project will devastate their livelihoods.
Hundreds of shopkeepers, porters, and pony service providers participated in a sit-in protest and chanted slogans like "Bharat Mata ki Jai" to voice dissent. The protesters argue that the project will bypass the traditional route, upon which their livelihoods depend.
