The Hindu : National : Paid priority darshan system scrapped

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Sunday, Jun 15, 2008
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Paid priority darshan system scrapped

Luv Puri

Jammu: Withdrawing the recently introduced paid priority darshan system, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine Board has decided to scrap all modes of priorities for out of queue darshan at the Holy Cave Shrine.

Experimental basis

The decision to introduce paid priority darshan system by the outgoing Governor S.K. Sinha had evoked lot of protest as many sections had termed it as an exercise to promote commercialism of the holy darshan. The executive part of the Vaishno Shrine Board is outside the preview of the elected government and its ex-officio chairman is the Governor. Announcing the new decision, after interacting with the Committee set up to examine the issue, the outgoing Governor S K Sinha said the system had been introduced on experimental basis.

However, respecting the popular demand, it has been decided to dispense with all sorts of priorities including the paid ones, he added.

Status quo

In practical terms, the Shrine Board has accepted the status quo which existed before the paid priority darshan system was started. Under this system priority slips are issued by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

The Shrine Board claims to devise a mechanism to provide for sort of facilitation for the staff of the Shrine Board including the members of Security Forces and some special categories.

No blank slips

However, this will be minimal, the Board officials maintain and add that no blank slips will be issued as was being done previously, which had led to black marketing and corruption. Modalities for this are being worked out.

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