JAMMU: The workers of Shiv Sena (AG) and Dogra Front led by its President Ashok Gupta took out a procession against the abolishing of toll tax and road tax from the pilgrim vehicles.
Gupta stated that the J and K Government can take the example from Madhya Pradesh as at the time of Kumbh Mela all the pilgrim vehicles were exempted from the toll and road tax and a great deal of arrangements were made for the pilgrims.
The party president stated that the toll tax and the entry tax for the Amarnath Yatris should be exempted by the State Government in the shape of subsidy to the Yatris and appealed to all the MLAs and the MPs to promote the act of providing subsidy to the Yatris.
He stated that the track should be widened and railing and retaining walls be provided enroute, the width of no passage/track shall be less than 12 feet, particularly the track leading from Panchtarni to the Holy Shrine of Amarnath.
“State Government and Shrine Board should provide infrastructure, equipment, medicines and all other ancillary items thereto to the medical teams to ensure that the pilgrims can be provided adequate treatment without any loss of time,” he added. He further said that the government should form watch bodies which would keep an eye on the hefty charging by the Taxiwalas and the Ponywalas for the freight and some benchmarks should be set up like the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.
Those who joined the protest include Vicky, Pradhanu, Nikku, Ram Paul, Abhishek and others.