Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 14: A high level meeting was held here today under the chairmanship of N. N. Vohra, Governor, who is also Chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, to discuss and decide the security and access control related arrangements for the Shri Amarnathji Yatra which is scheduled to commence on July 2, simultaneously from both the Baltal and the Chandanwari routes.
The discussions involved the senior most officers of Civil, Police, Central Armed Police Forces, Army, Air Force and State and Central Intelligence Agencies. Detailed presentations were made by the Intelligence Agencies regarding the obtaining and emerging security environment in the State, keeping in view the envisaged objectives of adversary external agencies.
The meeting also held detailed discussions to determine the broad approach regarding preparedness for arising emergent and unforeseen situations; functioning of the Joint Control Rooms (JCRs) in the Yatra Camps; linking up JCRs with the Meteorological Department and the District Disaster Management Units; coordinated deployment of Dog Squads, Advance Avalanche Warning and Mountain Rescue Teams at identified locations on both the Yatra routes; deployment of well equipped Fire Fighting units at pre-determined points; installation of X-Ray baggage Scanning units at appropriate locations on both the Yatra routes; Access Control arrangements at the Neelgrath, Panjtarni and Pahalgam Helipads; etc.
The Governor stressed the vital importance of effective coordination being maintained among the functionaries of all the concerned State Government Civil and Police Departments, Army, Central Armed Police Forces, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board and all other concerned agencies for ensuring the effective functioning of the planned security related arrangements.
The meeting also discussed the enforcement of effective Access Control in the Baltal and Nunwan Base Camps and at the Domel and Chandanwari Access Control Gates and effective traffic regulation from Lakhanpur Check Post onwards. The Governor directed that the DGP and the Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir regions undertake a thorough review of all required arrangements for promptly dealing with any disaster situation and, for this purpose, evolve clear Standard Operating Procedures which would be shortly followed by all the stakeholders, including the District Administration and Security Forces.
The Governor also emphasized the need to effectively enforce agreed systems for ensuring that only those Yatris who possessed valid Yatra Permits were allowed to undertake the Yatra on the date and by the route for which they had procured prior registration.
Maj. Gen. Arvind Dutta, GOC Victor Force, made a detailed presentation on the preparation for the Yatra, which included coverage of the present status of snow accumulation in the Yatra area and along both the Yatra routes, measures being taken for disaster preparedness and the contours of the plan to secure the entire Yatra area.
The meeting was attended by Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, Chief Secretary, Lt. Gen. Subrata Saha, GOC, Hqrs. 15 Corps; K. Rajendra Kumar, Director General of Police, Prakash Mishra, Director General, CRPF; P. K. Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer, SASB; Gazzanfar Hussain, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gilani, IGP, Kashmir; A. G. Mir, IGP, CID, J&K; Nalin Prabhat, IG- Ops, Kashmir Sector; Atul Karwal, IG-Srinagar Sector; Harmeet Singh, Joint Director, IB; Samir Kumar Jha, Commissioner, SB; Dr. Jagat Singh, IG, BSF, Srinagar; Air Commodore, Manoj Marathe, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Srinagar; Jitendra Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Executive Officer, SASB; Arshad Ayub, Secretary (Home) and Deepak Choudhary, Deputy Director, IB.
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