STATE TIMES NEWS
KATRA: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has filed a complaint against an online travel portal for making unauthorized booking for helicopter services from Katrat to Sanjichaat and back.
Taking a serious view of the false commitments and unlawful bookings which are being offered by a travel portal i.e. www.flightraja.com, the CEO has lodged a complaint with the Police Station, Katra, against the said portal and its agents. The Police Station, Katra, has registered an FIR for cheating against the said portal. It is contemplated to invoke the provisions of IT Act for investigating this case.
A. K Sahu, CEO, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, said that the sale of helicopter tickets for pilgrims travelling from Katra to Sanjichhat and back is the sole prerogative of the Shrine Board and CEO’s designated authorities and no other agency or person is authorized to use the Shrine Board name or nomenclature to sell or undertake online booking of helicopter tickets or any other services.
CEO further informed that the Shrine Board Office has been receiving complaints regarding unauthorised sale of helicopter tickets for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage by certain travel agents operating from Katra and elsewhere. It has also come to fore that there are a number of websites which offer package for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, which include booking of helicopter tickets. CEO clarified that the booking and sale of heli tickets is the sole prerogative of the CEO who has not authorised any person or agency to sell heli tickets or book Shrine Board accommodation. The CEO has issued public notices to this effect from time to time warning all such websites and agents to refrain from engaging in any illegal activities which are intended to dupe the pilgrims and also cause harm to the Shrine Board’s reputation.
CEO informed that any misrepresentation of the Shrine Board by any person or agency whatsoever shall
invite civil and criminal legal action.
He appealed to pilgrims to use only the official website of the Board for booking Yatra facilities such as helicopter tickets and must not be misled by fraudulent advertisements, which may be issued by unauthorised websites, which offer booking of helicopter tickets, sale of Prasad etc. He said that www.maavaishnodevi.org is the one and only official website of the Shrine Board and any other website which claims to have been authorised by the Board is fraudulent and therefore unlawful.
