Top brass of civil, police admn; DCs, SSPs to attend
Majority to join in-person, others virtually
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 8: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has called a high-level meeting in Srinagar on Wednesday to review all arrangements including security for annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji cave shrine. All top officials of civil and police administration, Intelligence agencies and concerned Deputy Commissioners and SSPs will attend the meeting, some physically and others virtually.
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The LG’s meeting comes two days ahead of a meeting called in New Delhi by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to review security and other arrangements for 57-day-long pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji, beginning July 3 and lasting till August 28.
Official sources told the Excelsior that all top officials of civil administration including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, senior police and Intelligence officers including Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, Intelligence heads and DCs and SSPs, whose districts will have presence of Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrims, have been called to the meeting.
“The officers based in Srinagar and hailing from Kashmir division are expected to attend the meeting in-person while those from Jammu division will join through video conferencing,’’ the sources said, adding senior officers from Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) will also participate.
The Lieutenant Governor will get feedback from the officers on security and other arrangements being made for the pilgrimage and issue necessary directions to ensure all facilities for smooth conduct of the yatra. The focus will, however, be on security, which remains prime concern of the administration as paramilitary companies sanctioned by the Union Home Ministry for the yatra have started reaching Jammu and Kashmir.
The MHA, as earlier reported by the Excelsior, has decided to deploy 670 companies of paramilitary forces for annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji.
“The deployment of paramilitary personnel along with Jammu and Kashmir Police will figure in the meeting,’’ the sources said, adding the advance deployment of the CAPFs will help in strict security arrangements, sanitization of base camps, tracks, National Highways and other places to be visited by the pilgrims besides the surroundings.
The process for deployment of CAPFs has already started and will be completed within a fortnight i.e. well ahead of the start of Shri Amarnath Ji yatra on July 3.
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. In view of this besides deployment of paramilitary forces on yatra routes, additional security personnel will also be deputed to upper reaches of both Jammu and Kashmir divisions where there is possible presence of small group of terrorists.
After June 10 meeting by the Lieutenant Governor, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will review security and other arrangements for the yatra on June 12 in New Delhi.
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 Union Home Minister’s 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 along with senior Army officers.
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 57-day-long pilgrimage will start on July 3 and conclude on August 28 coinciding with auspicious occasion of Sharavan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
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.
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