Paramilitary companies start reaching both divisions
*Besides security, facilities for yatris too to be discussed
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU June 7: A high-level meeting to review arrangements for annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji scheduled to be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 8, has been rescheduled to June 12 due to preoccupation of the Minister. Top brass from Jammu and Kashmir was sounded about delay in the meeting today.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the meeting will now be held in New Delhi on June 12 and all arrangements for the annual pilgrimage including security, facilities, health, sanitation, accommodation etc will come up for the review.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, Home Secretary Chandraker Bharti, Intelligence chief Nitish Kumar and other senior officers from Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to attend the meeting. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, top MHA officials, heads of paramilitary forces including CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief will also join. Senior Army officers are also expected to attend the meeting.
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“Going by the heavy influx of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir and rush for registration of Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage, the authorities are expecting good number of yatris to reach for darshan of holy Ice Lingam of Lord Shiva in South Kashmir Himalayas this year,” the sources said.
The 57-day-long pilgrimage will start on July 3 and conclude on August 28 coinciding with auspicious occasion of Sharavan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
Meanwhile, the paramilitary companies allocated to Jammu and Kashmir for Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage have started reaching both the divisions. A total of 670 paramilitary companies have been approved for deployment on yatra security by the Union Home Ministry.
In Jammu, the deployment will start right from Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir. Along with police, the paramilitary companies will guard Pathankot-Jammu and Jammu-Srinagar National Highways, Railway Station, Airport, Bus Stand and Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas from where the pilgrims take off in the morning in convoy amid tight security arrangements.
“All places meant for accommodation of the pilgrims will also be fully protected,” the sources said.
In Kashmir, tight security arrangements are being made at base camps of Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam), the twin tracks and the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva in South Kashmir Himalayas besides all other places meant for stay and movement of the pilgrims.
All arrangements for the pilgrims including security will be in place a week ahead of start of the yatra.
Sources said general security in Jammu and Kashmir is also being further strengthened before the pilgrimage to ensure that few left-out terrorists don’t manage to strike.
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.
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