Fearing Job Loss, Locals Clash With Cops Over Vaishno Devi 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.

Prabhat Singh, a leader of the shopkeepers' association, said, "We will not allow the ropeway project to be implemented in Katra. We have been fighting against it for three years. Assurances were given to us in the past, but now they have gone ahead with the project."

Protesters today confronted a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle attempting to pass through the demonstration site. In the chaos that followed, the vehicle's windshield was shattered, and police intervened to restore order. Stones were reportedly thrown at J&K police and CRPF personnel. 

Protesters have blocked the main bus stop in Katra through which the buses to the Vaishno Devi shrine run. The Vaishno Devi temple sees an annual footfall of over 80 lakh pilgrims. 

"The law and order situation has become challenging and we are trying to handle it. Officers are in talks with the protesters to resolve the issue," Reasi's Senior Superintendent of Police Paramvir Singh said. 

Initially called as a 72-hour strike on November 22, the protest was extended by an additional day. Despite reassurances from authorities, the protesters demand either the complete withdrawal of the project or compensation for the anticipated economic losses.

"The ropeway project will be a game changer, especially for those pilgrims who find it challenging to undertake the 13-km steep trek to the shrine," the shrine board said in a statement.