Excelsior Correspondent
PAHALGAM, July 3: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Nunwan and Chandanwari base camps today.
During his visit, the Lt Governor interacted with the pilgrims, service providers, and the administrative and security officials deputed for Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.
The Lt Governor took stock of the arrangements and directed all concerned departments to take every possible measure to make Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra smooth, safe and hassle-free for devotees.
“Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra has contributed immensely to our composite culture in the last several centuries. The annual pilgrimage provides a perfect opportunity to showcase J&K’s priceless culture and historic transformation,” the Lt Governor said.
The Lt Governor said, “the annual pilgrimage brings people from different walks of life and states together at one place. It is not only a symbol of brotherhood of humankind but also shows the path to spiritual salvation and inspires all to embrace equality, compassion and humanism”.
“World’s eyes are on J&K, as we celebrate the annual yatra. All the concerned authorities should work together to give a warm welcome and memorable experience to the pilgrims,” the Lt Governor said.
The Lt Governor directed all the stakeholders to liaise closely with the team on the ground to ensure effective coordination on cutoff timings to enable the smooth conduct of pilgrimage and to also facilitate locals and tourists.
He instructed the concerned officers to explore all the possibilities to further improve the traffic management and to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims through the checkpoints. He also discussed the deployment of trained manpower for the Yatra, who had contributed in the recently held G20 summit at Srinagar.
At the DRDO hospital, the Lt Governor interacted with the doctors and medical team. He directed the officials to ensure round the clock healthcare facilities during the yatra.
The Lt Governor also took appraisal of various services like lodging, Langar, power and water supply, sanitation, health and other facilities to the pilgrims.
Syeed Fakhrudin Hamid, Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag briefed the Lt Governor on the day-wise status of the Yatris arriving at the Base Camp.
The Lt Governor was accompanied by Dr Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, CEO, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board; Vijay Kumar, ADGP Kashmir; Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Dr. Piyush Singla, Administrative Secretary, Revenue Department and other senior officers of District Administration, SASB, Police and Army.