Katra, Feb 06: The Chamber of Tourism Trade and Industry Katra (CTTIK) on Friday demanded direct public transport connectivity from Katra to major pilgrimage centres across northern India, saying the lack of reliable services continues to affect pilgrims and travel-related activity in the town.
In a statement, the chamber welcomed the launch of new connectivity services by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir under the leadership of Omar Abdullah and Transport Minister Saish Sharma.
The newly introduced services connect religious destinations such as Shahdra Sharief, Jwalaji, Namgyal Monastery at McLeod Ganj, Anandpur Sahib, Ajmer Sharief and Our Lady of Graces in Sardhana. The chamber said the routes would improve access for residents of Jammu and Kashmir travelling for religious purposes and would support pilgrim tourism.
CTTIK President Raj Kumar Padha appreciated the efforts of the Transport Department and the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation for starting new public transport services.
He, however, urged the authorities to introduce direct bus connectivity from Katra to Haridwar, Khatu Shyam, the four Devi shrines—Chamunda Devi, Kangra Devi, Jwala Devi and Chintpurni—and Kheer Bhawani in Srinagar.
Padha said improved and regular services would strengthen pilgrimage travel to Katra and would also support the Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra by making the town easier to reach for visitors from other states. He added that better transport links would help generate employment in transport and related service sectors.
Referring to current travel constraints, he said the absence of dependable public transport often forces devotees to postpone or cancel their journeys. He stressed that well-planned and consistent operations by the state road transport corporation are necessary to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims to and from Katra.
The chamber further proposed the introduction of electric bus services connecting Katra with Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Manali, Dalhousie and Baglamukhi, stating that such services would improve links with major religious and tourist destinations while supporting cleaner mobility in the region.
