Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board takes stock of preparedness

Jammu, December 9

As the Vaishno Devi shrine is preparing to host a large number of pilgrims ahead of the New Year, a meeting was held to review the security and operational preparedness by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), the police and other agencies.

Anshul Garg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SMVDSB, presided over a joint meeting with security agencies to review preparedness at the Spiritual Growth Centre, Katra.

The meeting was attended by DIG (Udhampur-Reasi range) Mohammad Suleman Choudhary, Reasi SSP Amit Gupta, SMVDSB’s Additional Chief Executive Officer Navneet Singh and Deputy Chief Executive Officer Vishwajeet Singh among others.

Garg urged for simulating exercises jointly to deal with crowd management and ensure safety and security of pilgrims.

The CEO stressed upon all the stakeholders for action on diverse fronts for hassle-free pilgrimage on New Year, including issuance and verification of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) cards, etc. Special focus is being made on crowd management as the stampede on January 1 this year at the shrine had claimed 12 lives and left 15 injured. The inquiry report has so far not been made public.