Yatris with RFID cards to be allowed to undertake pilgrimage: Div Com
Irfan Tramboo Srinagar, July 4: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg today said that Amarnath pilgrims arriving in Jammu and Kashmir without prior registration, or before their allotted Yatra dates, may have to wait for permission to undertake the pilgrimage as...
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, July 4: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg today said that Amarnath pilgrims arriving in Jammu and Kashmir without prior registration, or before their allotted Yatra dates, may have to wait for permission to undertake the pilgrimage as RFID cards are being issued only to devotees holding valid registration for their scheduled dates.
Addressing a joint press conference here along with IGP Kashmir V.K. Birdi, Garg urged pilgrims to complete online registration before travelling to the Union Territory, stressing that only registered devotees issued RFID cards would be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage.
He said the Supreme Court has fixed a daily carrying capacity for the annual pilgrimage, and the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB), in coordination with the administration, is regulating the movement of pilgrims in accordance with the prescribed limit.
"A number of pilgrims are reaching J&K without registration and are facing inconvenience because they cannot immediately obtain RFID cards or access Yatra-related facilities," Garg said.
arg said the online registration facility has been available since April and that the majority of devotees have already completed the process.
He urged those planning to undertake the pilgrimage in the coming days to register online before travelling to avoid inconvenience.
Garg also advised pilgrims not to arrive before their scheduled Yatra dates, saying several devotees registered for later dates were reaching Kashmir in the hope of undertaking the pilgrimage earlier.
"Those whose Yatra dates are scheduled for later should arrive only on their registered dates so that there is no inconvenience and the Yatra can be managed smoothly," he said.
He reiterated that RFID cards are issued only after completion of the mandatory registration process and said pilgrims arriving without registration, or ahead of their allotted dates, may have to wait until their turn, as permission to undertake the pilgrimage is being granted only to those holding valid registration for their scheduled date.
Garg said a limited Tatkal facility remains available, subject to vacancies created by registered pilgrims who fail to report for the pilgrimage.
"The Tatkal quota is very limited and depends on how many registered pilgrims do not turn up for the pilgrimage," he said.
Providing an update on the Yatra, Garg said the pilgrimage, which commenced simultaneously from the Pahalgam and Baltal routes on July 3, has been progressing smoothly, with more than 26,000 pilgrims paying obeisance at the holy cave shrine during the first two days.
Garg said the administration is committed to facilitating every devotee wishing to visit the holy shrine, but reiterated that pilgrims must wait for their allotted turn and complete the mandatory online registration process before travelling.
