Not enough space for guests at Attari

With tremendous rise in the number of visitors thronging Attari border to witness the unique Retreat Ceremony orchestrated every day by the Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers the already existing facilities and basic amenities at the joint checkpost are under immense pressure to accommodate the crowd.

With tremendous rise in the number of visitors thronging Attari border to witness the unique Retreat Ceremony orchestrated every day by the Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers the already existing facilities and basic amenities at the joint checkpost are under immense pressure to accommodate the crowd.

Lack of sufficient number of washrooms and drinking water facilities make matters worse. Even the visitors gallery is small when it comes to accommodate such huge mumbers. Though the gallery last redesigned in 1999 was meant to accommodate around 10,000 visitors,it has to seat around 15,000 to 17,000 people daily. On weekend and holidays,the footfall increase to 20,000. Moreover,increasing threat from terrorists has led to security arrangements being beefed up further,causing more inconvenience to visitors.

According to BSF officials,they had already submitted a detailed report regarding the need to widen the gallery and add more facilities. We have been sending requests to the Union Home Ministry. The multi-crore integrated checkpost (ICP) at the border is under construction and will help to decongest the area, said a senior officer. The visitors gallery will be redesigned and can accommodate more than 25,000 people. There will be a well-furnished VIP gallery as well,he added.

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At present,several visitors return without watching the ceremony almost every day. By the time they reach the spot,the gallery is full. Many have to stand far away from the gallery,on the sides of the roads. Others return home, said an official.

Shibu Bannerji,a visitor,said: Reaching the spot is a problem. Even after waiting for one-and-a-half hours,we did not get a seat.

Amritsar is emerging as a major tourist hub and the existing infrastructure is insufficient, said Dr Sukhdev Singh,state Convenor of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Saying that there is no proper taxi or bus service to the Attari,he added: Thus,the taxi operators charge arbitrary rates.

DC Rajat Aggarwal said the government has been trying to strengthen infrastructure at the border post. Once the ICP is ready,trucks will get separate gates to pass through the Indo-Pak border and the existing gates will only cater to the visitors,he added.

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