Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Aug 30: Performance of Pooja, Havan, Yagya and organising several other events marked the celebration of 29th Foundation Day of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board today.
These functions were organised at Bhawan, Adhkuwari, Katra, Vaishnavi Dham, Jammu and other locations in which the staff of the Shrine Board and a large number of pilgrims participated. Illumination was done on all the main buildings of the Shrine Board at various locations as part of the celebration of the Foundation Day.
At the culmination of these functions, prasad was distributed among the pilgrims by the senior most officers of the respective areas and units of the Shrine Board. Employees of the Shrine Board took pledge on this occasion to perform their duties with sincerity and devotion.
N. N. Vohra, Governor, who is Chairman of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, in his message on the auspicious occasion of the Foundation Day, congratulated the staff of the Shrine Board and impressed upon them to work with zeal and dedication for providing increasingly improved facilities to the pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.
The Governor laid stress on continuing with the efforts to enlarging facilities for meeting future requirements of the increasing number of pilgrims. He observed that high priority needs to be laid to ensure speedy implementation of the infrastructure projects. He added that efforts need to be further intensified for ensuring completion of all the ongoing development works of the Shrine Board within their envisaged time frame of completion.
At Katra, the main function was held at Niharika Complex where special Pooja and Havan was performed. Dr. Mandeep K. Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board, Deputy Chief Executive Officers, and other staff and the pilgrims participated. It was followed by distribution of prasad.
On this occasion, Dr. Bhandari informed that on the directions of the Chairman of the Shrine Board accommodation facilities for the pilgrims at Bhawan, Adhkuwari, Katra and Jammu have been substantially augmented over the 2-3 years by commissioning of Manokamna Bhawan Phase-II and Parvati Bhawan at the Shrine, Shailputri Bhawan at Adhkuwari and Ashirwad Bhawan at Katra .
The CEO said that focus on environmental preservation has been high priority area of the Shrine Board and towards furtherance of this objective, the Shrine Board has undertaken plantation of Trikuta Hills in a big way. During last five years, more than 8 lakh plants of indigenous species have been planted. To meet the requirement of plants for raising plantations, the Shrine Board has set up a hi-tech nursery near Panthal.
Giving further details, the CEO said that augmenting water and power supply has been given added focus to meet the emerging requirements of the pilgrims. He added that health care facilities for the pilgrims have been further strengthened on the Tracks and at Bhawan. In this context, he also referred to the coming up Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence at Kakryal.
Other major projects which have been recently executed by the Shrine Board include Emergency Helipad at Panchhi and Sridhar Bhawan Elevator in the Shrine area. The work on expansion of Atka area is also nearing completion, he said.
He said that work on first phase of Slope Stabilisation Project along the track for checking landslides and shooting stones is under execution. Dr. Bhandari also dwelt on other initiatives taken by the Shrine Board under social responsibility scheme.
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