MHA top brass, CAPF, Intelligence heads to join meeting
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 3: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold high-level meeting to review arrangements for annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji in South Kashmir Himalayas beginning July 3 and lasting 57 days, in New Delhi on June 8.
This will be the first security review of annual pilgrimage by the Home Minister and a couple of more meetings including the one in Kashmir are expected to follow, the officials told the Excelsior.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
The meeting comes just days after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced deployment of 670 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies for security of Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, Home Secretary Chandraker Bharti and senior officials of Intelligence agencies and police heads of Jammu and Kashmir divisions are likely to attend the meeting. Top MHA officials including Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and heads of paramilitary forces and Intelligence agencies among others will also join the security review.
“Apart from security review, other arrangements for the pilgrims including facilities on twin tracks of Baltal and Chandanwari etc will also come up for discussion,” the sources said, adding later an MHA team may travel to Jammu and Kashmir for on-spot assessment of the situation.
Police officials are expected to brief the Union Home Minister about security arrangements being made for the pilgrims at all the places across Jammu and Kashmir this year including deployment plan of paramilitary forces and police at base camps, twin tracks and the cave shrine.
“While all other facilities for the pilgrims are being generated at base camps, tracks, cave shrine and National Highway, security remains prime concern and this year the MHA has approved highest number of 670 companies of paramilitary forces for the pilgrimage,” the sources said, adding in addition, Jammu and Kashmir Police will play major role in the security. Army will also man some vulnerable areas including heights at the cave shrine.
Shah will evaluate the readiness of security and civil departments involved in the annual pilgrimage and review measures aimed at ensuring the smooth, secure, and successful conduct of the Yatra.
Discussions are likely to focus on deployment of security personnel along the traditional Pahalgam and Baltal routes, counter-terrorism strategies, protection of pilgrim convoys, emergency response mechanisms, healthcare facilities, communication systems, and overall logistical arrangements, the sources said, adding that special focus is on intelligence coordination among various agencies, surveillance measures along the Yatra routes, and contingency plans to tackle any unforeseen challenges or security threats.
The review meeting forms part of the Centre’s broader strategy to ensure robust security coverage and efficient facilities for thousands of devotees expected to participate in this year’s Shri Amarnath Ji yatra, which will start on July 3 and conclude on August 28 coinciding with Sharawan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
Additional paramilitary companies will start reaching Jammu and Kashmir by early June and entire deployment will be in place on or before June 25 i.e. around a week ahead of start of annual pilgrimage.
The deployment of paramilitary companies and police will be made in such a way that routine anti-terror operations are not hampered.
Focus is on security arrangements for twin tracks of Baltal and Chandanwari besides the holy cave shrine. A plan has already been devised in different security review meetings in Jammu and Kashmir. The base camps of Baltal, Nunwan and Yatri Niwas Jammu will also attract maximum possible security. Besides the Road Opening Parties (ROPs), regular patrols are scheduled for the National Highway by paramilitary forces and local police.
It may be mentioned here that over 3.5 lakh yatris have been registered for this year’s annual Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage since the registration started on 550 designated bank branches on April 15 this year, till last week and the number is going up.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
