STATE TIMES NEWS KATRA: While speaking to a delegation of Hotel & Restaurant Association, Katra comprising of its President Rakesh Wazir, Chairman Shyam Lal Kesar, Sr Vice President Virender Kesar and others, Chief Executive Officer Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Ramesh Kumar said that every effort would be made to provide best facilities to the Yatris of Maa Vaishnodevi while keeping all COVID protocols and safety norms in mind so that the Yatra of Vaishnodevi which has got effected by the COVID may become normal and the activities related to Vaishnodevi which had become stand still may come on track. Rakesh Wazir while speaking on the occasion said that the need of the hour is this that a joint strategy be made wherein the Yatra of Vaishnodevi and Shiv Khori be strategised jointly in such a way that pilgrimage of both the places may increase simultaneously because both the pilgrim places have got the potential of attracting lakh & lakh of people and can give employment to lakh of people besides development of whole area. Shyam Lal Kesar while speaking emphasised for increasing the facilities of Vaishnodevi and particularly on the new Tarakote Track including opening of more eating points vis-à-vis opening of the Yatra Slip Counter at Tarakote for the facilitation of the Yatries. Virender Kesar while speaking on the occasion requested for developing the places of pilgrim/Tourism intrest around Katra vis-à-vis developing the infrastructure, keeping pilgrims interest in mind like starting of Light and Sound shows on the history of Maa Vaishnodevi, developing and where possible and people feel like taking over the management of the pilgrim spots around Katra because Shrine Baord has got the expertise of managing the Shrine of Maa Vaishnodevi in a magnificent way and that expertise can be used in other places as well. Ramesh Kumar listened the delegation patiently and assured that sympathetic consideration would be given to each and every point referred in the discussion and the items which pertains to him would be implemented shortly whereas the items which pertains to other would be taken up with them.
