Shri Mata Vaishno Devi yatra

Sir,

A new report was published in this paper (Mar 11) in which a news about the steps to be taken to smoothen the yatra track were carried.

The yatra to the cave shrine passes through a distance of about fifteen kilometers from the base camp of Katra. The journey passes through a hill and at some points reaches atleast three to four thousand feet above the height of Katra Base Camp. There is no doubt that since the inception of the Shrine Board many steps have been taken to make the yatra safe, easy and people friendly. Any body who is an old timer and had visited the shrine before the formation of the Shrine Board can visualise the difference now and then. Today the track is one of the best maintained of similar tracks in the country.

But still there are points where gradients are high. Especially a place called Hathi Matha the gradient is high and any seasoned climber also gasps for breath over this stretch. If according to the news report ropeway between Bhawan and Bhairon Ghati is constructed it will be a huge addition to the facilities at the shrine. This will attract thousands of pilgrims who will enjoy the ropeway. Escalators at places where there is steep ascent will again make the journey easy for old and infirm people. The decision of the Shrine Board is welcome indeed and now the decisions have to be speedily implemented so that old people like me can again think of having Darshan of the holy Mother.

Yours etc...
M L Gupta
Trikuta Nagar
Jammu

Optimising needs

Sir,

Human being is a social animal. As he lives in society he has to attend to many complex situations. Being in a society as well as being an integral part of it he gets influenced by the other individuals in the society in which he lives.

The act of getting influenced is nothing wrong but it is only the way through which you get influenced and inspired which determines how you behave in a particular time or in life in general. Normally we copy others. What others do, especially if they are powerful we try to emulate them. We dress their way or even sometimes spend or walk or talk the way they do. The whole exercise is embedded in our subconscious mind. We initiate others, little knowing that every human being is a different person. Sometimes we live beyond our needs. Eventually we land ourselves in trouble. When we fail to maintain our artificial life style we loose our own moorings and suffer. To continue with the bloated and artificially maintained life style we do all wrong things to get more and more money. Ultimately we land ourselves in trouble. Our life gets shattered.

The best wisdom in life is to live within our means. We should draw a fine dividing line in our life about our needs. In otherwords we have to optimise our priorities. These days e,g every member of a normal middle class family has a mobile. Every children flaunts a mobile, although there is certainly no need of so many cell phones. It means a huge amount of money is wasted every month on unecessary bills. The need is to shun ostentatious way of life. We should spend when we earn and spend judiciously. We have to lead a life that is natural, holistic and rational. Then we shall become happy otherwise only God can save us, perhaps, He even may not save us them.

Yours etc...
Hari Krishen Gupta
Link Road
Jammu

Power generation

Sir,

Our State is facing a chronic shortage of power. Despite having some of the best water resources available we are still importing power worth thousands of crores.

Some years ago the department of power embarked upon e-metering consumers in order to check pilferage and overdrawal of power. People by and large have responded well to this scheme. But the matter of concern is that the Department has failed to e-meter all consumers. This would have generated hundreds of crores of more revenue for the Department.

On the power generation front the Government has not done any significant progress. Sixty years have passed and we still do not produce power enough for our State leave alone the idea of exports. States like Himachal and Haryana are way ahead us. The tragedy is that our State was second in the whole country to have a power station way back in 1905 at Mohra. But we have not strengthened that great legacy. Now, as per the news reports published in this paper, the Govt is mooting over the construction of a thermal power station. It is good that site has been selected for the project which will be in Kathua District. This project should be made a fast track project and completed within three years time. Other projects should also be undertaken so that the power generation is increased. People are fed up with power cuts in summer and winter. We wait eagerly for that day when power cuts will become history.

Yours etc...
P N Bhat
Rehari,
Jammu