DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
JAMMU, Apr 15
Shiv Sena (UBT) Jammu and Kashmir unit has welcomed the start of registration and the announcement of the dates of the Holy Shri Amarnath Yatra 2024. Along with this, strongly protested against the continuation of charging the registration fees from the devotees.
Led by the party state chief Manish Sahni at Press club, Jammu strongly protest holding placards written “Shri Amarnath Yatra registration should be free”, ” Stop collecting Jazia tax “. Party state chief Manish Party said that the stubborn attitude of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board regarding registration recovery from the pilgrims is condemnable. He said that he had fought a long battle to make the registration free in 2023 as well. Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has given some relief and reduced the online registration from 200/- to 150 in 2024, but his demand is to make it completely free.
Sahni said that registration from religious pilgrimages brings back memories of the Jizya tax of the Mughal rule.
He said that the Shrine Board charges the pilgrims for providing buses, tents, and lockers for keeping their belongings. On the other hand, registration for the world famous Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Yatra, which runs 365 days a year in Jammu and Kashmir, is completely free. The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board will also have to give up its insistence on charging registration fees from pilgrims coming for the Shri Amarnath Yatra, which runs only for 50-60 days a year. He said that the pilgrims’ pockets already get empty in completing the formalities set for the Shri Amarnath Yatra.
Sahni has demanded from the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir (Chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board) to make this registration fee free with immediate effect. He said that if it is not rolled back within a week, he will be forced to submit a memorandum written in his blood to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
Along with this, a demand has been made to take necessary steps to keep the Holy ice lingam safe for the duration of the Yatra. An appeal has been made to reduce the formalities fixed for those providing langar service and to provide all possible facilities from the Shrine Board. It is worth noting that the registration process for Shri Amarnath Yatra 2024 has started. The Holy Yatra will start from June 29, 2024 to August 19. On this , occasion Gen secretary Vikas Bakshi, vice president Sanjeev Kohli, Balwant Singh, President Kamghar Raj Singh , Pawan Singh , Naresh Kumar , Vijay Chowdhury, Baba , Rajesh Handa ,
Shahsi Pal , Mangu Ram , Manish Sarma , Om Prakash , Jagbir Singh , Noor Ahmed and many others were present.
