Vaishno Devi: NGT slams J&K govt for defying its order

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday slammed the Jammu and Kashmir government for “open defiance” of its order on rehabilitation plan for horses and mules which have been barred from carrying pilgrims from Katra to the Vaishno Devi temple.

A bench headed by acting NGT Chaiperson Jawad Rahim warned the state government while taking exception over the submission of the counsel for the J&K government that the issue was pending consideration before the state cabinet.

The green panel said it had penned down each and every step for the rehabilitation in its order and yet the state government has not complied with its direction.

“We have had enough. If you want to comply with our order, its okay. Otherwise we know how to get it done. You are mischievously frustrating the orders of the tribunal. We are pained by your conduct,” the panel said.

“The counsel for the state government has submitted a tabulated statement of timeline of events, the reading of which shows that there is open defiance of the orders of the tribunal. No progress has been made. Meetings after meetings have been held without any result,” the bench said.

The tribunal directed the state government to file a detailed affidavit on the rehabilitation plan before May 23, the next date of hearing. It asked all stakeholders, including representatives from J&K government, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and association of mule owners to sit together and come out with a solution.

The tribunal had last year said that a new path be created to the shrine exclusively for pedestrians and battery-operated cars and directed that no horses or mules would be allowed on the new route to the shrine.