123 Langars given permission this year
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, May 10: As the two -month long holy Amarnath Ji yatra starts on July 1 this year, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) which is managing the annual yatra has given a deadline up to June 15 to Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for clearance of both the tracks.
A high level meeting was held at Srinagar today by the Board representatives and officers of civil administration with BRO Engineers in which the yatra arrangements were discussed with respect to snow clearance of tracks on both sides, their widening and maintenance, official sources said.
Sources said the meeting was chaired by Dr Mandeep K Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha which among others was attended by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri. Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar joined the meeting online. Besides, the meeting was attended by Second in chief, BRO, District Development Commissioners of all concerned districts, Director Animal Husbandry and Labour Commissioner, J&K.
Sources said the meeting discussed the logistic arrangements with concerned District Development Commissioners of respective districts including arrangements regarding additional holding capacity along the National Highway from Lakhanpur in Jammu region to twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Ganderbal and Anantnag districts of Kashmir valley.
Sources said the SASB authorities discussed about increasing of additional capacity with DCs concerned in case of any emergency situation during yatra period. In this regard the schools, hostels etc in the vicinity of highway can be utilized for boarding and lodging pilgrims. Besides, the fool proof security arrangements, sanitation and water supply and electricity arrangements at these places were also discussed in the meeting.
It may be recalled that for the first time the BRO was involved in the maintenance of the twin tracks and the Shrine Board authorities discussed the development of tracks with BRO representatives. The BRO was asked that both the tracks be cleared by the June 15 as two month long yatra will commence on July 1. Besides, the snow clearance, widening and maintenance of tracks lighting arrangements were also discussed.
Main thrust was given to securing the critical areas along the track which are prone to shooting stones, slips and landslides by taking appropriate measures including construction of bridges walling along the track, barricades and railings for safe passage of yatris, sources said.
Sources said that registration of ponies and Pithoos was also discussed and near about 30,000 pony handlers are involved in the annual yatra. While the Animal Husbandry Department will make the registration of ponies, the Labour Department will make the registration of pony handlers and other laborers.
Meanwhile, the SASB has given permission for installation of 123 langars on twin tracks. Among them about 50 langars will be installed from Baltal to holy cave while near about 70 langars will be installed from Pahalgam to holy cave, sources said.
These langars will function round the clock to serve the pilgrims. The Shrine Board has sent individual letters to langer people and they were asked to send their documents by May 15 and report at their respective places by June 15. In addition to this, 50 langars are going to be installed from Lakhanpur to Pahalgam and Baltal and permission for the same will be granted by the respective District Development Commissioners.
Sources said that majority of langars will be set up at Baltal and Domail. About 25 langars will be set up at these two places alone, while 13 langars will be installed at holy cave, eight at Sheshnag, five at Pissutop, 12 at Panchtarni, seven at Chandanwari, nine at Nunwan -Pahalgam and five at Zojibal. Sources said that the Board has also fixed rates for different services for pilgrims and concerned DCs have given instructions that no unreasonable rates should charged to pilgrims.
Sources said in case of emergency, 7500 pilgrims can be accommodated in Kathua district also.
However, Shri Amarnath Barfani Langar Organisation (SABLO) has urged the SASB that the Sewadars should not be asked to report by June 15 as the holy yatra will commence on July 1 and 17 days is a long duration for them to remain idle. Rajan Gupta president SABLO said that his organization has written a letter to SASB in this regard.
He said the SABLO has requested the SASB that the Sewadars be asked to report by June 25 at base camps and by June 20 in upper areas like , Sheshnag, Panchtarni, Domail etc.
Moreover, the SABLO also wants that the present method of security verification for Sewadars be done away with as it is a cumbersome job taking time and SASB should itself take responsibility for getting the verification done, said H K Chugh its general secretary.
The SABLO also demanded that all Sewadars should be allowed to wind up the Langars after yatra rush decreases and not forced to stay till yatra culminates. The peak rush of pilgrims remains mostly for 25 days to one month and the Sewadars remain idle for rest of period , said Vijay Mehra, Finance Secretary of SABLO. He demanded that only two to three langars be asked to stay for entire period while others be allowed to leave.
Senior Member of SABLO, Kuldeep Singh Raja said that his organization has also made a submission to Board that date for document submission be extended from May 15 to May 31.
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