Vaishno Devi pilgrims trekking without RFID cards to be fined

JAMMU, Dec 19: In view of safety of Vaishno Devi pilgrims, the Shrine Board
administration has taken strict measures of slapping a fine on the pilgrims trekking without
carrying Radio Frequency Identity Cards (RFID) being issued at registration counters
installed in Katra town of Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The RFID facility is for the safety of the pilgrims and it is mandatory for them to get the
card at the time of registration,” said a Shrine Board official.
He added that it came to notice that few percent of pilgrims avoid registration and
straightway manage to trek to the Bhawan, adding, “to keep check on this exercise, it has
been decided that anybody found on way to Bhawan without RFID, will have to pay Rs 100
as fine and the journey will be cancelled while the pilgrim will be sent back to Katra to get
proper registration under RFID.”
To check this, he said that the Board has deployed its personnel at Darshani Deodhi—the
entrance point tp track, at new Tarakote Marg, Katra helipad, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi
Railway Station Katra and other locations.
“It is also being monitored that the pilgrims on their return, must handover the card to the
staff, which is a mandatory part and for round the clock monitoring state-of-the-art scanners
are also being in place,” said an official adding that the pilgrims are not charged for the card,
it is being issued free of cost.
Notably, on December 31,2021 midnight, 12 devotees lost their lives and several injured in a
stampede at Bhawan due to heavy rush following which the Shrine Board has taken several
steps to keep check on unregistered pilgrims.
“In order to avoid recurrence of such incidents, the Shrine Board administration had started
the state-of-the-art RFID travel card facility during the last Shardiya Navratra it is mandatory
for every pilgrim to take get the card,” he said.
He further elaborated that Yatra Registration Center has also been established at Vaishnavi
Dham near Jammu Tawi Railway Station while 20 counters are set up at different locations of
the main travel registration center at Katra town.