Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 22: Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) in its meeting presided over by N.N. Vohra, Governor of J&K, who is Chairman of the Board, approved the new design of Yatra Permit Registration Forms which now have a number of high security features to ensure against these forms being duplicated by unlawful elements.
Navin K. Choudhary, CEO, SASB informed that during Yatra 2013, and even in earlier years, a number of complaints had been received which indicated that certain unscrupulous elements had been duplicating the Yatra permit forms which, till Yatra 2013 were being got printed by the Banks which had been designated by the Board to undertake the Registration of Yatries. In this background, the Governor had directed that the existing format of the form be made pilfer proof.
CEO had got in touch with Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL), which is a Central Public Sector Undertaking under the Union Ministry of Finance, and is responsible for the printing of currency notes, minting of coins, printing Passport and stamp papers. SPMCIL has rich experience of printing papers and documents which have high security features. At the CEO’s request, SPMCIL had proposed certain security features in the form, some of which were further modified on the instructions of the Governor. The Board, at its meeting held on 20th January, 2014 approved the final design of the Yatra permit form.
The revised form contains several high security features, for example a Ashoka Pillars ‘Water Mark’ which is printed on the form, in the same manner as in Currency Notes; “Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board” is printed in the background relief tint along with the Shrine Board’s Logo; a ‘micro-text’ line, which can only be seen under a powerful magnifying glass, and the Logo of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board printed with fluorescent blue ink, which also can be visible only under Ultra Violet Light. The printing has been done with chemically sensitive security ink.
With such high security features and printing method, it will be next to impossible to duplicate the Yatra permit form. An expenditure of approximately Rs.75.00 lakh is being incurred on the printing and transportation of the new Yatra Permit Forms.
The CEO further informed that unlike as in 2013, the Yatra permits for 2014 Yatra will be in different colours for each day and each route. This will help the Enforcement Agencies at the Access Control Gates to quickly identify the pilgrims who are not registered for a particular day.
The Governor has directed the CEO to ensure timely distribution of the Yatra permit forms to the designated 422 Bank branches which will undertake registration of pilgrims for Yatra 2014.
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