Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 29: Project Director National Highway Authority of India Ajay Kumar is learnt to have assured that monthly local passes issued to the people of Katra would continue as it is and will be renewed without any disruptions.
The assurance in this regard was given by the Project Director to a delegation of Hotel & Restaurant Association, Katra (HRAK) & PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry Jammu Region (PHDCCI), which called on him here today.
President HRAK and Co-Chairman PHDCCI Rakesh Wazir explained to the Project Director that on the basis of guidelines of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, National Highways Authority of India and the clarification given by the Deputy Commissioner/s concerned, Local Passes were issued to the people some three years back for the vehicles of locals falling within 20 km area particularly to the people of Katra and are renewed since then but all of a sudden their renewal was stopped for the people of Katra on the basis of plea that Katra is beyond 20 km which is totally incorrect because leaving aside measurement of straight distance between Katra to Ban which is close to 15 kms as per Google even , the main authenticating agency i.e. Deputy Commissioner Reasi has already authenticated its distance being less than 20 km thus in those circumstances non renewal of passes by the contractor would be totally illegal.
Shyam Lal Kesar, Chairman & Shiv Kumar Sharma, former president HRAK, while speaking on the occasion, highlighted certain things on the toll post which can be improved including separate tag line for ambulances, tag and other vehicles, proper bearing of uniforms with name plates by the employees over there, adherence of time limit set for collection of toll from the vehicles standing in the queue, politeness while dealing with commuters etc.
Mr Kumar listened to the delegation patiently and gave on spot instructions for renewal of passes as those were done for the people of Katra in past as well and further assured sympathetic consideration to other points raised in the meeting.
The meeting, among others, was attended by PHDCCI Katra head & Sr vice president Virender Kesar, president Patni Top Hotels Association Koushal Magotra, Ravi Nag, Meena Wazir, Ajay Kotwal and Mohit Dubey.
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