Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday chaired a meeting of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) to review the preparations being made for a safe and hassle-free annual Amarnath Yatra.
The annual 52-day-long pilgrimage commences from June 29, 2024 and will culminate on August 19, 2024.
The Sub-committee meeting was attended by the senior functionaries of civil administration and police here on Monday.
Dulloo reviewed in detail the facilities for safe, smooth and secure movement of pilgrims particularly along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway besides both the axis leading to holy Cave from Baltal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Chandanwari in south Kashmir’s tourist spot of Pahalgam.
He directed the concerned officials to suitably augment all the requisite facilities to ensure smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.
Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor and CEO SASB, Mandeep K Bhandari, made a detailed presentation on various aspects of SASB-2024, including registration for Yatra, service providers, Yatra camps, langar services, provision for various facilities among other things.
The meeting was told that registration of Pilgrims for the Yatra has commenced from April 15, 2024 through both offline (banks) and online mode. Besides, the Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) cards will be issued to each Yatri only after successful e-KYC and no yatri shall be allowed to embark on Yatra without a valid RFID card.
The Chief Secretary asked for completion of all the pending works with various departments before beginning of the annual yatra without compromising on the quality.
He exhorted upon the concerned officers to visit the ongoing sites regularly to ensure timely completion of ongoing development projects.
He also reviewed the status of up-gradation of yatra tracks including Rangamorh- Baltal /Domel to Holy Cave and Chandanwaari to Holy Cave.
He directed for the widening of the walking tracks/passages besides raising the railing and retaining walls.
The Chief Secretary also directed the Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir to make adequate provision of basic facilities like public conveniences, water and electricity supply, langars, registration and medical care enroute National Highways in their respective divisions.
The Chief Secretary directed the concerned officers to closely monitor the operation of works to ensure that all quality parameters are being adhered to.
The CS asked to oversee the arrangements being put in place in the transit camps along the Yatra route particularly at Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Baltal and Chandanwari.
He stressed on the divisional administration to ensure augmentation of lodgement centres commensurate with their optimum carrying capacity right from Lakhanpur to Baltal/Nunwan well before the start of Yatra.
