Pilgrims can now fly to cave on Rs 1445 only
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: The process of registering Yatris for this year’s Shri Amarnathji Yatra will commence on May 7, 2012, simultaneously for both the Baltal and Chandanwari routes, through 174 Bank Branches and via the Internet based e-Registration System.
The decision to commence the registration for this year’s Yatra was taken during an extensive review meeting held yesterday by the Shrine Board Chairman, N. N. Vohra, with Navin K. Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer, Preet Pal Singh, Additional Chief Executive Officer and other concerned functionaries of the Board.
Mr Choudhary informed that the registration of the Yatris will commence, across the country, from Registration Counters located in 121 designated Branches of the J&K Bank, 49 Branches of the YES Bank and 4 District Cooperative Banks. For the information of all concerned, full details of all the Registration Centres are being shown on the Board’s website, www.shriamarnathjishrine.com. CEO further stated that, as recommended by the Board’s Sub-Committee headed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji, and consequently approved by the Shrine Board, this year’s Yatra will commence simultaneously, along both the Baltal and the Chandanwari routes, on 25th June and culminate on Raksha Bandhan, the 2nd August, 2012.
While applying for Yatra Permit every intending Yatri would be required to submit a Health Certificate issued by a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP). CEO informed that 45, 68 and 107 Yatris had lost their lives in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Yatras, respectively. In this context, and also considering that a majority of the Yatris do not pay serious attention to the Health Advisories issued by the CEO, the Board has decided that the Yatris should undergo a compulsory health check-up and furnish a Health Certificate from a Registered Medical Practitioner when they apply for a Yatra Permit. This requirement had also been advised by the National Disaster Management Authority, he added.
CEO stated that with the close attention paid by the Shrine Board Chairman, N. N. Vohra, it had been possible to progressively expand the Registration network every year, for enhancing the convenience of the intending Yatris. This year, the Board has been able to increase the number of Bank Registration Counters to 174 from 149 in 2011.
For the purpose of Registration, to be done on “First-Come-First-Serve Basis”, the requisite Application Form and the Compulsory Health Certificate Form can be collected from any of the designated branches of J&K Bank, YES Bank and Cooperative Banks or downloaded from the Board’s website. Registration will be done through a Yatra Permit, which will be issued on the submission of a duly filled-in Application Form, Compulsory Health Certificate and payment of handling charges of Rs. 15 per Yatri. As decided by the Chairman, there will be no increase in the handling charges of Rs. 15 per Yatri for Registration done through the Registration Counters or through the Internet based e-Registration system.
The CEO said that the Yatris can obtain a provisional Yatra Permit on-line via the website of J&K Bank (http://yatra.jkbank.net), on payment of handling charges of Rs. 15 per Yatri. However Yatris, who hold provisional Yatra Permits will have to submit the prescribed Health Certificate at Yatra Base Camps – Baltal and Nunwan – and have their provisional Yatra Permits stamped by officials of the Shrine Board before being allowed to proceed beyond the Base Camps. This facility has been especially provided for the benefit of those pilgrims who may not have ready access to any of the 174 designated Registration Counters. CEO stated that every Registered Yatri will be covered by an Accidental Insurance of Rs. one lakh, which is paid by the Shrine Board.
Cautioning the Yatris against undertaking this arduous Yatra without securing a Permit, Mr Choudhary stressed that for ensuring effective security arrangements along the difficult tracks, only those Yatris will be allowed to proceed beyond the Base Camps, and cross the Entry Gates at Domel and Chandanwari, who are in possession of a Yatra Permit which is valid for a specified date and route.
The CEO stated that, from 7th May 2012 onwards, the interested Yatris can reserve their heli-seats through the web based on-line Reservation System, by logging on to the Shrine Board’s website. He clarified that to reduce inconvenience and delays, any Yatri who travels by the helicopter services would not be required to obtain a Yatra Permit but will need to furnish a Compulsory Health Certificate before being allowed to board the helicopter. CEO explained that the helicopter ticket would serve as Yatra Permit for the Yatris traveling by helicopter services, as the format of the ticket would contain the information required by the Board.
He informed that the helicopter services for the Yatris would be available on each of the two routes viz. Baltal-Panjtarni-Baltal and Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam. The one way heli-fare for Baltal-Panjtarni and Pahalgam-Panjtarni has been fixed at Rs. 1445 and Rs. 2355, respectively. The CEO noted that this year one-way passenger fare for Baltal-Panjtarni has been reduced to Rs. 1445, from Rs. 2425 last year. Like-wise, the one-way passenger fare for Pahalgam-Panjtarni has been reduced to Rs. 2355, from Rs. 3495 last year.
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