JAMMU, June 9: With the annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra drawing closer, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will convene a high-level review meeting in Srinagar on Wednesday to assess the arrangements for the pilgrimage, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to undertake a comprehensive review of preparedness in New Delhi on June 12.
Official sources said that the Srinagar meeting will witness the participation of senior officers from the civil administration, Jammu and Kashmir Police, intelligence agencies and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) to evaluate the measures being put in place for the smooth and successful conduct of the pilgrimage.
Sources said officers stationed in Kashmir are expected to attend the meeting physically, while their counterparts from the Jammu division are likely to join through virtual mode.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, senior intelligence functionaries, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police of districts linked with the pilgrimage routes are among those expected to take part in the deliberations.
The Lieutenant Governor is likely to review arrangements concerning accommodation, transportation, healthcare services, sanitation, electricity and other facilities for pilgrims undertaking the 57-day Yatra. However, security preparedness is expected to remain the central focus of the meeting to ensure an incident-free pilgrimage.
According to sources, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned the deployment of nearly 670 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the Yatra. The induction of these forces has already begun in a phased manner ahead of the commencement of the pilgrimage.
Security plans include extensive sanitisation of base camps, both traditional pilgrimage routes, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and other vulnerable locations frequented by devotees. CAPFs, in coordination with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security agencies, will maintain a multi-layered security grid throughout the pilgrimage period.
Sources further revealed that security measures across Jammu and Kashmir are being further strengthened to foil any attempt by residual militant elements to disrupt the Yatra. Additional deployment of forces in upper reaches and other sensitive pockets of both divisions is also under consideration as a precautionary step.
Following Wednesday’s review in Srinagar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a crucial meeting in New Delhi on June 12 to assess the overall security architecture and administrative preparedness for the annual pilgrimage.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, DGP Nalin Prabhat, Home Secretary Chandraker Bharti, Intelligence Chief Nitish Kumar and other senior Jammu and Kashmir officials are expected to attend the meeting. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, senior Ministry of Home Affairs officials, chiefs of the CRPF, BSF, ITBP and SSB, representatives of the Intelligence Bureau and senior Army officers are also likely to participate.
Authorities are expecting a substantial influx of pilgrims this year amid a significant rise in tourist arrivals to Jammu and Kashmir and encouraging response to Yatra registrations.
The Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is scheduled to commence on July 3 and conclude on August 28, coinciding with the auspicious occasions of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
During the Delhi review, Amit Shah is expected to undertake a detailed assessment of security and logistical arrangements aimed at ensuring the safe, smooth and successful conduct of the annual pilgrimage. (KNC)
