Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 16: The registration of pilgrims for Shri Amarnathji Yatra is begining on March 18, 2013 for both the Yatra routes – Baltal and Chandanwari- through 422 designated Bank Branches of Jammu & Kashmir Bank, State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, YES Bank and HDFC Bank spread all over the country. This year’s 55 day Yatra will commence simultaneously on both the routes from June 28 and culminate on Raksha Bandhan, the August 21, 2013.
Navin K. Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer, SASB, informed that step-by-step procedure which the yatris need to follow to register for the yatra has been put on the Board’s website, www.shriamarnathjishrine.com. The website also contains the application form and state-wise list of Bank branches with complete addresses which the yatris can approach for registering themselves for this year’s pilgrimage.
The CEO said that the applicant-yatri will have to furnish Compulsory Health Certificate while seeking registration for this year’s Shri Amarnathji Yatra. He stated that the format of the Compulsory Health Certificate and state-wise list of doctors/institutes authorised to issue it have also been put on the website of the Shrine Board. He said that for ensuring against fraudulent Health Certificates, only such Health Certificates which are issued only by Doctors or Medical Institutes authorised by the concerned State Government/UT Administration will be accepted. He said that, for yatra 2013, Health Certificates issued only after March 1, 2013 would be valid.
The CEO further informed that, pursuant to the decision taken during the 24th meeting of the Shrine Board held on January 31, 2013, persons under the age of 13 years or above the age of 75 years and ladies more than six weeks’ pregnant would not be registered for this year’s yatra.
The CEO further informed that the Yatra Permits for this year’s yatra would be different for each day of the week and route to facilitate police personnel deployed at the Access Control Gates at Baltal and Chandanwari in determining whether a yatri possesses Yatra Permit valid for the relevant date and route.
In this context, he cautioned the intending yatris against undertaking this arduous yatra without securing a Yatra Permit. He stressed that, for ensuring effective security arrangements along the difficult tracks, only those yatris who are in possession of a yatra Permit which is valid for a specified date and route will be allowed to proceed beyond the Base Camps, and cross the Entry Gates at Domail and Chandanwari.
He appealed all intending yatris to early complete the necessary formalities for registration and timely obtain a Yatra Permit, in their own interest, so that they do not face any inconvenience on the date of their yatra.
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