New Delhi :
For all those who plan to travel to religious shrine Vaishno Devi in Jammu soon via helicopter will now have to pay more for the journey.
The hike of 12.5% service tax by the PDP-BJP government has led to an increase in the trip charges for those who travel to Vaishno Devi via chopper.
The Finance Department, headed by Haseeb Drabu of the PDP, issued a notification on September 2, asking the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) to impose 12.5 per cent service tax on the pilgrims travelling by the helicopter to and fro from Katra to Sanjhi Chhat.
The decision is seen by many leaders as a step to reduce the number of pilgrims to the shrine.
The move has once again exposed chinks in the ruling coalition with alliance partner.
BJP mentions that it has not been taken into confidence before the imposition of service tax on pilgrims.
They also demanded that the notification imposing service tax be revoked forthwith.
The party also claimed that the hike in prices of air tickets would discourage families from undertaking the pilgrimage.
Notably, the number of Vaishno Devi pilgrims has come down drastically over the past three years.
In 2012, more than 10 million pilgrims paid obeisance at the shrine. The number came down to 9.3 millions in 2013 and 7.8 millions in 2014. This is affecting the overall economy of the region.
