Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 21: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has directed entire top brass of the MHA and heads of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to monitor Amarnath yatra security arrangements regularly by visiting Jammu and Kashmir including the shrine to ensure peaceful annual 40-day long pilgrimage, which is scheduled to set off in a week’s time.
Sources told the Excelsior that Rajnath Singh, who was himself scheduled to visit Kashmir as well as Amarnath ji cave shrine on June 29, the first day of pilgrimage, would now take a decision on his visit at the last moment in view of fracture sustained by him in his leg recently. Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat and heads of CAPFs including CRPF, BSF and ITBP, which were likely to be deployed for the yatra security, would head to the Valley separately before start of the pilgrimage for high-level review of security arrangements.
“Threat perception has been high this year as compared to previous years but response to the yatra, going by the registration of pilgrims, has been very good. The Union Home Ministry and Jammu and Kashmir Government, therefore, don’t want to take any chances on safety and security of the pilgrims,” they said.
According to sources, Rajnath Singh would hold high-level review of security arrangements on Jammu and Kashmir with particular focus on annual Amarnath Ji pilgrimage in South Kashmir Himalayas with top brass of the MHA, Intelligence officials and heads of CAPFs, whose maximum number of companies would be deployed for yatra security this year.
Sources said that the Union Home Minister has directed the chiefs of CRPF, BSF, ITBP etc to regularly monitor security arrangements for the pilgrimage and personally visit the Valley including the tracks for on spot reviews. They added that deployment of CAPFs for yatra security has been set into motion well in advance this year to facilitate smooth pilgrimage due to Kashmir unrest.
Pointing out that the Union Home Minister had himself planned to visit Kashmir for security review and the cave shrine on June 29 when the pilgrimage would start, sources said he would now take a final call on his visit shortly after sustaining fracture in the leg. “If he didn’t visit, the Union Home Secretary and top brass of para-military forces and Jammu and Kashmir Government will hold high-level review of the security to make fool-proof arrangements for the pilgrims drawn from all over the country,” they added.
The Defence and the Home Ministries have already approved deployment of five battalions of Army and around 500 companies of CAPFs for Amarnath yatra security, which was the highest ever, sources said, adding that the Army would be deployed at heights of the cave shrine, parts of South Kashmir and other vulnerable areas while the National Highways of Pathankot-Jammu, Jammu-Srinagar, twin yatra tracks of Baltal and Pahalgam, Jammu Yatri Bhawan and base camps of Baltal and Nunwan would be manned by the para-military forces, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police.
“The top brass of MHA has been constantly in touch with Jammu and Kashmir Government officials while CAPF heads have been maintaining close liaison with their heads in the State on security arrangements of Amarnath yatra,” sources said.
Meanwhile, despite unrest in the Kashmir valley and increased militancy in South Kashmir, there has been no let up in enthusiasm among the people, who intend to undertake pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva from June 29 to August 7.
Nearly 2.2 lakh pilgrims have already registered themselves for this year’s pilgrimage, which is almost at par with last year’s figure. Moreover, a number of pilgrims reach Jammu every year unregistered and are provided on-spot registration by the administration on the directions of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), which mans the yatra.
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