District Development Commissioner Reasi chairs meeting on Animal Welfare and Pilgrim Convenience

REASI, December 19: The District Development Commissioner Reasi, Vishesh Mahajan today chaired a meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) here in the District Administrative Complex.

The meeting revealed vital statistics related to service providers in the region, including 4100 Pony operators, 4231 Pithoo operators, and 3320 Palki service providers, underscoring the importance of their role in facilitating pilgrimage activities.

In an effort to ensure responsible transfer of registration cards of Pony operators, the DC emphasized stringent guidelines. A registered Pony Operator can now transfer their registration card to a family or bloodline member, under specific socio-economic and health considerations. This process necessitates a personal declaration by the operator, accompanied by an affidavit and a certified doctor’s certificate for the nominated family member.

Emphasizing the paramount importance of security measures, the DDC stressed the need for thorough verification processes before card transfers. The verification process will involve scrutiny by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to bolster security measures. Furthermore, it was agreed upon that the Assistant Labour Commissioner department will undertake the registration of all Pithu and Palki operators operating on the revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi track.

In a bid to enhance the convenience of pilgrims, discussions centered on efficient working of prepaid counters for Pony operators.

Stringent measures were outlined to prevent Pony operators from causing distress to animals, with violations potentially leading to deregistration or fines. Plans were also discussed to establish an animal care center dedicated to addressing mobility issues or health concerns faced by these animals.

The meeting was attended by SSP Reasi Amit Gupta, SDM Karta Deepak Dubey, ACR Anshumali Sharma, CAHO and cornered officers were present.