Srinagar, Jul 5 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday reviewed the ground situation and pilgrim facilities at the Chandanwari base camp of the annual Amarnath Yatra and directed officials to ensure round-the-clock assistance to devotees.
During his visit, Sinha interacted with officials, pilgrims, volunteers, langar sevadars and other service providers, and asked the Yatra management teams to regularly assess pilgrims’ feedback and promptly address their concerns.
He said the administration, in coordination with the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board and other stakeholders, was making every effort to provide quality food, accommodation and other essential facilities to ensure a smooth pilgrimage.
The Lieutenant Governor also inspected the 100-bed Base Hospital at Chandanwari, reviewed healthcare arrangements, and interacted with patients and medical staff. Officials informed him that adequate stocks of medicines and medical equipment were available and specialist doctors, nurses and paramedics had been deployed to provide healthcare services.
According to the administration, the hospital’s outpatient department is handling around 2,500 patient visits daily, catering to pilgrims, service providers and support staff.
Addressing reporters, Sinha said the pilgrimage has witnessed a significant increase in the number of devotees this year compared to previous years.
He, however, expressed concern over the arrival of a large number of unregistered pilgrims and appealed to them to wait for their turn instead of proceeding without registration.
Sinha said the daily cap on pilgrims using the Chandanwari and Baltal routes has been fixed for safety reasons and cannot be increased, urging devotees to adhere to the prescribed procedures to ensure a safe and hassle-free pilgrimage.
He said officials from all departments were working round the clock to facilitate a smooth conduct of the annual pilgrimage.(NVI)
