New Delhi, July 24
Expressing concern over the large number of deaths during the Amarnath yatra this year, a high-powered BJP delegation submitted a memorandum to Home Minister P Chidambaram today urging the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Government to improve facilities for pilgrims and restore the duration of the yatra to what it was originally.

The memorandum pointed out that curtailment of the yatra from 60 to 39 days was one of the main reasons for the unusually high mortality rate this year. Since the number of yatris is increasing, the reduction in the duration of the pilgrimage has placed undue stress on the infrastructure and facilities provided for them. It was stated that the yatra duration was earlier reduced because of threats held out by a small section of separatists but now the situation in the Valley has improved substantially.

The BJP delegation included Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jailey, Shahnawaz Hussain, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Tarun Vijay. Listing out the problems being encountered by the pilgrims, the BJP memorandum says the roads should be cleared and widened by the Shrine Board.

It will enable the authorities to run an ambulance service on the Baltal route. The pending proposal for the installation of a ropeway should be pursued vigorously as this would eliminate the use of helicopters and ponies on the shorter Baltal route, enabling the administration to focus on the longer Pahalgam route, said the memorandum.

Pointing to the inadequate medical facilities, the memorandum has proposed that at least two 200-bedded hospitals be set up at Baltal and Nunwar while smaller hospitals be constructed at other points on the yatra routes.

Stating that footfall on this yatra route is expected to go up to 10 lakh in the coming five years, the memorandum said instead of putting a ceiling on the number of pilgrims, a master plan should be put in place to address the issue of putting up permanent as well as makeshift yatra houses en route.

The delegation also said the solution to reducing the mortality rate lies in providing alternate routes which will lessen the stress on the yatris instead of asking for medical certificates as most of the pilgrims who died did not have any history of cardiac problems.