Jammu, Jun 8 (NVI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s high-level review meeting on preparations for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra has been deferred to June 12 from June 8 due to prior engagements, official sources said.
The meeting, to be held in New Delhi, will review security arrangements and facilities being put in place for pilgrims undertaking the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir.
Sources said senior Jammu and Kashmir officials have been informed about the revised schedule.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Home Secretary Chandraker Bharti and other senior officials from the Union Territory are expected to attend the meeting.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, representatives of intelligence agencies, chiefs of central armed police forces and Army officers are also likely to participate.
The meeting will assess preparedness related to security, healthcare, sanitation, accommodation, transportation and other arrangements for pilgrims, sources said.
Authorities are expecting a large turnout of devotees this year amid a rise in tourist arrivals to Jammu and Kashmir and strong response to the registration process for the pilgrimage, they added.
The 57-day yatra is scheduled to begin on July 3 and conclude on August 28 on the occasion of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
Meanwhile, deployment of central security forces for the pilgrimage has commenced across Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Home Ministry has sanctioned 670 companies of paramilitary forces for yatra-related security duties, sources said.
In the Jammu region, security arrangements are being strengthened from Lakhanpur, the entry point to the Union Territory, covering national highways, railway stations, airports, bus terminals and Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas.
In Kashmir, elaborate security measures are being put in place at the Baltal and Nunwan base camps, along the twin pilgrimage routes and at the cave shrine, officials said.
Additional security arrangements are also being made at locations designated for pilgrims’ stay and movement.
According to officials, all security and logistical arrangements are expected to be fully operational at least a week before the commencement of the yatra.
During the June 12 meeting, Shah is expected to review the preparedness of security and civil departments and assess measures aimed at ensuring the safe and smooth conduct of the pilgrimage, sources said.
Discussions are likely to focus on security deployment, protection of pilgrim convoys, counter-terror measures, emergency response systems, healthcare facilities, communication networks, intelligence coordination and contingency planning, they added.(NVI)
