SC asks CEC to look for reduction of mules to zero at Vaishno Devi shrine

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday asked the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to look into the aspects of reduction of mules, implanting of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and disposal of solid waste management at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir.

The top court asked the CEC to file its response in eight weeks. A bench of Justices

M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said that the CEC would also look into the allegations that dead mules are thrown into the river after throwing them from the cliff.

Senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal, appearing for petitioner activist Gauri Mulekhi said that a committee should be constituted to look into all these aspects.

The bench also asked Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Jammu and Kashmir government, Mata Shri Vaisno Devi Shrine Board to file their responses on the issues flagged by the petitioner.

Venugopal said that the RFID tags used are of plastic and can be easily tampered.

The bench said that CEC will look into the aspect of disposal of solid waste generated by mules, installation of permanent RFID tag, reduction of mules from 4600 to 2500 and suggestion should be made to further reduce the number to zero.

On September 18, the apex court was told that the mules operating on the Katra-Vaishno Devi shrine track in Jammu will soon be implanted with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to ensure that no illegal or unauthorised animal is pressed into service.

In a report placed before the apex court, the sub-committee of the state advisory council has recommended that the cap on registered mules operating on the track would be reduced from 4,600 to 2,500 over a period of 10 years and 175 animal would be phased out every year starting 2018-19.