Jammu, Dec 18 (KNO): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired the 73rd Meeting of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), Wednesday at Raj Bhawan.
The meeting was attended by Members of the Board- Mahamandleshwar Swami Vishveshvaranand Giriji Maharaj; Baleshwar Rai, Dr Ashok Bhan, Kul Bhushan Ahuja, Dr Neelam Sareen, K.K Sharma, Suresh Kumar Sharma and Raghu K. Mehta.
Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor and Anshul Garg, CEO, SMVDSB also attended the meeting.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor inaugurated and dedicated various pilgrims-centric facilities including Yatri Facilitation Centre at Railway Station Katra and Yatri Facilitation cum Staff Accommodation Complex (Shubhra Bhawan) at Banganga.
He laid e-foundation stone of the new Exit Track at Bhawan aimed at decongesting the Bhawan area and also launched Digital initiatives of the Shrine Board including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system and AI-enabled Chatbot “Shakti” on the official website of the Board. Panchang Calendar 2025 and diary of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board were also released.
The Board held comprehensive and critical review of its past decisions, ratified the actions taken after its last Meeting and took several new decisions against 25 key Agenda Items having far reaching implications for functioning of the Board and augmenting pilgrim services.
Important decisions were taken in respect of new and underway projects of the Board such as construction of Exit Track from Durga Bhawan to Manokamna (a part of the Master Plan for Bhawan area), development of helipad in collaboration with Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board in village Hutt at Katra, construction of temples in District Reasi, review of projects and status of operationalization of Medical College of the Board at Kakryal etc.
The functioning of various services such as Jammu-Bhawan-Jammu Heli Service, Smart Lockers at Durga Bhawan, Vishram Ghar near Ram Temple, Jan Aushadhi Kendra, Health ATMs, Hawan & Nav Chandi Path at New Yagyashala, Virtual Darshan facility near Bathing Ghat, Garbhjoon Aarti Darshan and Langar Sewa at Adhkuwari, were thoroughly reviewed by Board and appropriate directions were issued. The Board exuberated the confidence that the seamless delivery of approved services shall surely enhance overall experience and comfort of devotees visiting the revered Shrine.
The Lieutenant Governor, the Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, reiterated the commitment of the Shrine Board to offer enriching experience to the visiting Pilgrims by improving transparency and efficiency of all services.
He directed for detailed analyses of the services, security & disaster management; strengthening of mobile connectivity and enhancing pilgrim feedback mechanism.
The Meeting accorded approval to tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and THDC India Limited (THDCIL) with an aim to identify and treat slopes that are vulnerable to landslides and rockfalls along the Yatra Route between Adhkuwari and Bhawan. The collaboration will focus on ensuring the safety of pilgrims by mitigating the risks associated with unstable slopes.
To address congestion issues near Battery Car Point at Bhawan, the Board approved measures to improve the area's infrastructure by developing a dedicated parking facility for Battery Cars opposite to Parvati Bhawan, constructed atop a 3-storey structure. This will provide a convenient and organized space for Battery Cars to operate from, reducing congestion and enhancing the overall ambiance of the area.
The Board also approved the Master Plan for the Sanjichhat Area addressing augmentation of key sectors like Accommodations, Toilets, Water Points, Food Points, Queue Management, Holding Area etc.
The Board observed that the Shrine Board has significantly developed the Kakryal area by creating facilities like Hospital, University, Nursing College and Medical College and desired the CEO to explore the modalities to address educational needs of the employees associated with these facilities.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of ongoing works and emphasized on timely completion of all projects for the ease of pilgrimage. The important projects in this regard were New Vaishnavi Bhawan at Bhawan, Covered Holding Area at Adhkuwari, Exit Track & Remodelling of Manokamna Area at Bhawan, Queue Complex at Darshani Deodi, Banganga and Cottages (near Sport Stadium), Katra.
The Board appreciated façade lighting project initiated for enhancing the Shrine’s aesthetics and ambience in different sector of Shrine and approved revamping of lighting at the facade of the old Gufa in the Atka area, inside the three caves and the sanctum sanctorum through a combination of LEDs and optic fibre lighting.
The Board also gave its approval to the additional Grant-in-Aid for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Charitable Society to support the operation of the Board’s peripheral institutions such as the Medical College, Hospital, Gurukul, Sports Complex, and College of Nursing, all of which are managed by the SMVD Charitable Society.
Earlier, Anshul Garg, CEO, SMVDSB, gave a detailed presentation on varied activities of the Shrine Board and the action taken as regards the implementation of various decisions of the previous meetings of the Board.
‘Shubhra Bhawan’ at Banganga, Katra built at a cost of Rs. 6.50 crore includes holding area for disaster management, a comfortable and spacious waiting lounge, lactating mothers' zone, a centralized information and registration centre, souvenir shop, refreshment kiosks, Bank and Water ATMs etc. 18 modern staff quarters have also been provided in the complex. A well-equipped disaster management store is a key feature of Shubhra Bhawan that is expected to serve as a ‘critical resource for emergency response and disaster mitigation’—(KNO)