Amarnath Yatra can be held round the year: Singh

‘Geological survey has ruled out any threat to ecosystem due to yatra’

Union Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh Thursday said Amarnath Yatra could be held in the state round the year as “scientific evidence” shows it has no effect on the ecology.
Addressing a press conference on the completion of one year of NDA government here, Singh downplayed environmental concerns saying that a geological survey has ruled out any threat to the ecosystem due to the yatra.
“I have a geological survey report which says Amarnath Yatra can be conducted throughout the year without any threat to environment. It’s just that the pilgrimage takes place in the two auspicious months as per the Hindu calendar. I would not interfere into it,” he added.
The minister, however, could not provide more details about the survey.
“People have to rise above politics and not get involved in political upmanship when it comes to yatra; the only one who loses is a common Kashmiri,” he said.
Singh said India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru had undertaken yatra with his newly-wed wife in February-March 15 days after his wedding.”
He said there was no dearth of funds for relief and rehabilitation of flood victims of Kashmir. “Centre has been releasing funds to Kashmir and it is committed to provide relief to flood victims.”
The Minister said the central government has released an amount of Rs 134.30 crores from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund till April 2015 for distribution among flood victims who lost their kacha or pucca houses.
He also said that the first installment of Central Contribution of State Disaster Relief Force for 2015-16, amounting to Rs 114.50 crore, was released in April.
Replying to questions from journalists about reported distribution of relief cheques of Rs 32 and Rs 47 among the flood victims, Singh said distribution of funds is the responsibility of the State government and the Centre cannot keep an eye on all the minute details related to it.
However, he said that it is a matter of concern and will certainly be looked into at the appropriate forum under the newly introduced system of Cooperative Federalism.
Dodging question on revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Singh said the last word of judgement would be on security agency.
Highlighting the major achievements of the first year of NDA government at the Centre, Singh said the country had moved from pessimism to optimism over the past one year.
He said the country had progressed from a growth rate of 6 percent to 8 percent since the NDA took over and the government is working hard to achieve the double digit growth rate.
Singh said the biggest achievement of the government so far has been that the reputation of the country at the international level has received a boost.
“Leading countries of the world acknowledge that India is on the way to becoming the major force at the global level, and this change about the international perception of India has been possible because of the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
The minister said the government had introduced landmark reform oriented schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Bima Yojna and Atal Pension Yojna. He said all these schemes were launched with the objective of providing social esteem and economic security to the citizens especially the economically weaker and marginalized sections of the society.
He further added that the government is looking for innovative ideas all the time to make the process of governance effective and people friendly, and every effort is being made to reach out to the common people and get feedback from them.
He further said that initiatives like self attestation of documents is proof of the fact that the government is committed to ease the burden from the shoulders of the common man.