SRINAGAR: The Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti on Friday extended the shutdown in Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the shrine, by 72 hours, adding to the woes of the devotees. Katra observed a complete shutdown for the third consecutive day on Friday in protest against the proposed ropeway project in the Trikuta hills of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.Six youths of Katra town have gone on hunger strike in support of the VDSS’ demands — shelving the ropeway project and releasing detained protesters. “VDSS leaders met on the conclusion of a three-day shutdown against the shrine board’s ropeway project. It was decided to extend the shutdown by 72 hours,” former legislator and VDSS member Jugal Sharma told this newspaper.“The administration should release 18 VDSS leaders arrested on the first day of shutdown on December 25,” he said.The proposed `250-crore ropeway project will connect Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat, which leads to the cave shrine. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has decided to build the ropeway to facilitate access to the temple for the elderly and others, who find it difficult to climb the 13-km-long track to the cave shrine.
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