New Delhi: The Save Sharda Committee has urged the Union government to take up the widening of the Chamkote–Teetwal road and to establish a Yatri Niwas near the Sharda Temple along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Chairman of the committee, Ravinder Pandita, met Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chauhan in New Delhi on Thursday and submitted a formal representation outlining the demands.
Pandita requested the minister to prioritise the widening of the road stretch from Chamkote to Teetwal and to facilitate the construction of a Yatri Niwas on evacuee property land available near the Sharda Temple. He said the proposed infrastructure would significantly boost border and religious tourism in the region.
The meeting was facilitated by Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha.
According to the committee, the Union minister assured that the demands would be examined and expressed willingness to visit the Sharda Temple in the near future.
In a statement, Pandita, along with coordinator Ajaz Khan, thanked the minister for his positive response and expressed hope that the road—dating back to the pre-Independence era—would be upgraded to benefit local residents as well as security forces stationed in the area.
On the occasion, Pandita also presented the minister with a traditional Sharda shawl, prasad from the temple, and a copy of the memorandum.
