3.31 lakh devotees register for Amarnath Yatra; L-G takes stock of preparations

With less than a month remaining for the start of the Amarnath Yatra, at least 3.31 lakh devotees have till now registered for the pilgrimage.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday chaired the 49th board meeting of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) at the raj Bhawan, in which matters pertaining to security and facilitation to pilgrims were discussed.

The Board held a comprehensive review of the preparedness of all line departments and proposed various measures and interventions to further improve the facilities for the devotees.

This year, Amarnath Yatra will commence on July 3, simultaneously from both the routes – the Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district and it will culminate on Raksha Bandhan on August 9.

The meeting discussed the arrangements and requisite amenities at the base camps and various locations enroute yatra, including disaster preparedness and mitigation measures, dissemination of yatra-related information, insurance cover to yatris and service providers, upgradation of yatra tracks, provision for sanitation water, power, transportation, and medical and health care facilities, telecom connectivity, weather forecasting, digital pre-paid system for hiring services, fire and emergency services, and civil supplies.

The meeting was attended by members of the Board, including Swami Avdheshanand Giri, Prof Kailash Mehra Sadhu, KK Sharma, KN Rai, Mukesh Garg, Shailesh Raina, Simridhi Bindroo, Suresh Haware and Prof Vishwamurti Shastri.

The L-G took stock of the progress on various ongoing projects and directed for ensuring completion of the identified works well in time for the convenience of the pilgrims.

“Safety and well-being of the pilgrims is our top-most priority. We are committed to provide better facilities and amenities to ensure a hassle-free and spiritually enriching experience for all the pilgrims,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The meeting also discussed important matters pertaining to establishment of yatri niwas and transit camps at various locations en route, enhancement of lodgement capacity, expansion of prasad sale counters, operationalization of yatri facilitation centres, online services by the board, issuance of RFID cards, registration and verification of pilgrims and service providers, langar and NGO services.

Mandeep K Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer, of the Board, gave a detailed presentation regarding the arrangements for the yatra.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, additional Chief Secretary Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra, DGP Nalin Prabhat, Principal Secretary Home Chandraker Bharti and other officials of various departments were present during the meeting.