Srinagar: Governor N.N. Vohra, Chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, chaired a high level meeting at Raj Bhavan here Wednesday to review important security related issues in regard to the Amarnath Yatra which is scheduled to commence on 28th June, 2018. The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Director General of Police, heads of State and Central Intelligence Agencies, GOC XV Corps, GOC Victor Force, senior most officers of the Central Armed Police Forces, Inspector General of Police Kashmir; CEO and Additional CEO of the Shrine Board.
S.P. Pani, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir and Major General J.P. Mathew, GOC, Victor Force, made detailed presentations regarding the obtaining and emerging security environment in the State, keeping in view the envisaged objectives of forces inimical to the prevalence of peace.
Governor stressed the need for all concerned agencies to keep a close watch and maintain effective co-ordination to ensure the smooth conduct of the forthcoming Yatra. The meeting held extensive discussions in regard to the issues relating to the obtaining security environment in the State; preparedness for meeting any unforeseen situation arising in the Yatra area; functioning of the Joint Control Rooms (JCRs) at every Yatra Camp; deployment of NDRF, SDRF and Mountain Rescue Teams (MRTs) of the State Police along with Rescue Teams of various Security Forces at identified locations on both Yatra routes; deployment of well equipped Fire Fighting units at pre-determined points; installation of X-Ray Baggage Scanning Units at appropriate locations on both the Yatra routes; Access Control arrangements at the Neelgrath, Panjtarni and Pahalgam Helipads etc.
The meeting discussed the enforcement of an effective Access Control System at the Baltal and Nunwan Base Camps and at the Domel and Chandanawari Access Control Gates; effective traffic regulation from Lakhanpur Check Post onwards; ATC arrangements for the heli services from the Pahalgam and Neelgrath to Panjtarni; transit camp arrangements; installation of CCTVs at various camps and at the Access Control Gates; etc.
Timing for movement of Amarnath Yatris
Stressing the need to strictly enforce the cut-off timings for the up-convoy from Jammu to Pahalgam / Baltal and down-convoy from Baltal and Pahalgam to Jammu, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, informed that the following cut off timings will be strictly enforced for the movement of Yatris:
Convoy / vehicles en-route Pahalgam / Baltal from Jammu shall cross Mir Bazar by 1500 hrs every day.
Convoy / vehicles en-route Jammu from Pahalgam / Baltal shall cross Mir Bazar by 1800 hrs every day.
Governor directed Director General of Police; Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir Divisions; Inspector General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir Divisions to ensure wide publicity of the Advisories relating to safety and security of Yatris, including the cut-off timings, through print and electronic media and particularly display these at Railway Station Jammu; Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu; Lakhanpur Check Post; the On-spot Registration Counters at Jammu and Srinagar and at Base camps of Baltal and Nunwan and at Panjtarni through Public Address system by Information Department of the respective District Administration. He further directed Chief Secretary to ensure that the roads from Jammu to Srinagar; Srinagar to Baltal; and Anantnag to Pahalgam are maintained in satisfactory condition for the smooth movement of the pilgrimage.
Governor directed DGP and Divisional Administration, Kashmir to strictly enforce the prescribed regulatory mechanisms and ensure that only those Pilgrims who possessed valid Yatra Permits were allowed to undertake the Yatra on the date and by the route for which they had procured Advance Registration. The meeting also discussed the specific measures which would be enforced for ensuring smooth and unhindered movement of validly registered Yatris right from the time they enter into the State and travel to the Holy Cave in order to prevent avoidable inconvenience to the Yatris.
Noting that the various Service Providers, particularly ponywallas, labourers, palki wallas, tent and shop owners, etc play a very important role in the smooth conduct of Amarnath Yatra, the Governor directed Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and IGP Kashmir to ensure that all the Service Providers were enabled to function in a safe and secure environment in the Yatra area. Governor observed that the Shrine Board has provided all Service Providers with an Insurance Cover of Rs. 3 Lakh each and ponies for Rs. 30,000 each against accidental death in the Yatra area.
Governor advised Chief Secretary to sensitize the Disaster Management agencies and ensure that all disaster management related arrangements for the Yatra are subsumed within the overall disaster management framework of the State. He directed Chief Secretary to chair an early meeting with DGP, GOC, 15 Corps and heads of all other security agencies to ensuring pooling of their disaster related resources at designated locations in the Yatra area.
The meeting was attended by B. B. Vyas, Chief Secretary; Dr. S. P. Vaid, Director General of Police, J&K; Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt, GOC, Hqrs. 15 Corps; Maj. Gen. J. P. Mathews, GOC, Hqrs, Victor Force; V.S.K. Kaumudi, Additional Director General, CRPF, J&K Zone; Umang Narula, Principal Secretary to the Governor and Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board; R.K. Goyal, Principal Secretary, Home; ShriZulfiquar Hasan, IPS, IG, CRPF (Ops), Kashmir; A. G. Mir, Additional Director General of Police, CID, J&K; Muneer Ahmed Khan, ADGP, Security & Home Guards; Sonali Mishra, IG, BSF; S.P Pani, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir; Ravi Deep Singh Sahi, IG, CRPF, Srinagar Sector; Gp Capt S Roy Chowdhury, Air Force Station, Srinagar; and Bhupinder Kumar, Additional Chief Executive Officer, Amarnathji Shrine Board.
