Excelsior Correspondent
LUDHIANA, Mar 20: Shri Amarnath Barfani Langars Organisation (SABLO), representing multiple Bhandara (Langar) service providers for Shri Amarnathji Yatra, has expressed deep disappointment over the discontinuation of decades old well established transparent EOI-based system by Shri AmarnathJi Shrine Board for inviting offer letter and selection procedure for issuance of bhandara permission.
In a statement, president of SABLO, Rajan Gupta has conveyed concerns from the member organisations regarding the transparency, fairness and clarity of the selection process arisen due to notification published by the Shrine Board inviting applications.
“The concerns that have emerged, include non-disclosure of selection criteria, no eligibility criteria, evaluation parameters, or objective selection methodology have been specified, discontinuation of decades old established procedure without explanation, removal of financial credibility requirements, provision allowing rejection without reasons, absence of allotment schedule, no clarity on selection timeline, operational, financial, and logistical uncertainty, and risking replacement of experienced organisations with less capable ones,” he said.
Mr Gupta also pointed out that non-issuance of the NOCs to the NGOs after completion of the Yatra 2025, notwithstanding compliance with the stipulated condition, has created apprehension among Los/NGOs that have been rendering voluntary services to pilgrims for many years and whose continued participation in the Yatra process may now be adversely affected due to the absence of official acknowledgement of their service record.
“It is our strong apprehension that the new procedure has been adopted to pick and choose new/fresh NGOs/trusts with high political and bureaucratic connections at the cost of decades old LOs/NGOs rendering Sewa having legitimate expectation,” said SABLO president.
Reiterating that the new framework is likely to result in disruption, inefficiency, and decline in service standards to pilgrims, ultimately impacting the smooth conduct of the Yatra, SABLO president has requested the Shrine Board to disclose the selection criteria and evaluation parameters, clarification of assessment methodology (experience, service record, capacity, etc), explanation for discontinuation of previous established procedure, assurance of fair and objective consideration of experienced organisations.
“In the absence of clarity and transparency in the present process, SABLO strongly suggests and demands that the SASB should withdraw the new procedure and continue the previous old established procedure,” said Rajan Gupta.
The post SABLO urges SASB to continue with old procedure for Langar permission appeared first on Daily Excelsior.