Condemning Jammu and Kashmir governments decision to charge an entry fee on all buses and other vehicles carrying passengers to Amarnath and Mata Vaishnodevi Yatra, a Hindu organisation today said it is a conspiracy to stop the holy yatra. The Mughals imposed Jizia, a religious tax. The state government wants to impose the tax again and stop the yatra, Avdhoota Nand Maharaj of Shri Shiv Shakti Sewadar said at a press conference here. The government has been providing subsidy to Hajj pilgrims. We have no problem on the issue. Then why the government has imposed tax on Amarnath Yatra, he asked. The vehicles going to Amarnath Yatra will have to pay a tax of Rs 3000 for seven days and Rs 2000 per day after that. Similarly, an entry fee of Rs 2000 for three days would be charged on pilgrims going to Vaishnodevi and a similar amount each day would have to be paid if they stayed more than seven days. The Jammu and Kashmir government had issued a notification to this effect under Jammu and Kashmir Motor Vehicle Taxation Act 1957. He added such decisions hurt sentiments of the pilgrims, and the government instead of providing better amenities to the devotees, was attempting to disturb the pilgrimage. The administration was charging Rs 25,000 from even those, who were providing langar for the Amarnath Yatris, although it was a free service for the pilgrims, Surender Kumar, president, Shri Shiv Shakti Sewadar said. He urged the Centre to direct the Jammu and Kashmir government against imposing such Tughlaqi orders. If our demands are not met, we would launch a nationwide movement with the help of other organisations, he added. -- (UNI) -- 19DI14.xml
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 04:13:16 +0000
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