10116 pay obeisance at cave today
Ramban/Doda, July 14: With Amarnath Yatra taking a hit amid ‘motivated' protests in Kashmir, the Yatra on several occasions has been put on and off leaving the Amarnath Pilgrims stranded since eruption of the bad events in Kashmir Valley.
Many Amarnath pilgrims were reported stranded in District Ramban since past few days as part of precautionary measure adopted by the authorities having suspended movement of all sorts of vehicular traffic towards Srinagar national highway in the region. This step was taken owing to unrest in Kashmir Valley, following killing of Hizbul Mujahedeen Terrorist Burhan Wani by security forces in an encounter.
According to reports nearly over thousand pilgrims from different parts of the country have been struck near Ramban Check post from past few days following unrest in the Valley. Pilgrims complained that they are facing great problems owing to less or no arrangements especially about toilets.
Manoj Kumar a pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh said, “We have been stuck since past two days in Ramban temple and authorities are not allowing us to go ahead. We are facing problems owing to absence of bathroom facilities especially for women.”
“We have today lodged protest by blocking the national highway demanding resumption of Amarnath Yatra, but authorities have categorically denied, they have said that yatra cannot go ahead owing to critical situation in Kashmir and assured Yatra will resume from tomorrow,” he said by adding, “we are a group of 200 pilgrims came from UP.”
However, protesters have threatened blockage of national highway, if they were not allowed to go ahead tomorrow for darshan.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Ramban, Mushtaq Choudhary said, “There are about a thousand people stuck in Ramban. They were protesting and wanted to go ahead, now they have ended up the protest after our assurance.”
Meanwhile, 0,116 pilgrims paid obeisance at the Holy Cave today and till date 1,55,320 Yatris have received Darshan at the Shrine.
In yesterday's accident of a Mini Bus carrying Yatris, two lives were lost, that of Billal Ahmad Mir of Kangan, Ganderbal, the Driver of the ill-fated vehicle, and the pilgrim Pramod Kumar Gupta of Meerut. 22 passengers were injured in the accident, out of whom 20 were admitted at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, and 2 at the Bone and Joint Hospital, Srinagar. After medical treatment and discharge from Hospital, the Shrine Board arranged for the 15 injured Yatris to return home by air. The Shrine Board has also arranged to transport the body of the deceased by air today to his home town.
Governor, who is Chairman of the Shrine Board, has asked CEO, Mr. P.K. Tripathi, to provide ex-gratia relief of Rs. 1.00 lakh each in favour of the next of kin of both the deceased.
