Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 28: The Advance Registration of pilgrims for Shri Amarnathji Yatra will start tomorrow, all over the country, for both Baltal and Chandanwari routes, through 432 designated Bank branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank and YES Bank.
This year’s 48 day Yatra shall commence simultaneously on both the routes from July 2 and culminate on Raksha Bandhan, the August 18.
P K Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, said that the 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 contained 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.
He further emphasised that no Yatri without valid registration shall be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage. He urged Yatris to get themselves registered for Yatra well in advance to avoid any inconvenience for undertaking the Yatra.
The CEO said that the yatris will have to furnish a Compulsory Health Certificate while seeking registration for the Yatra and the format of the Compulsory Health Certificate and a State-wise list of doctors/ institutes authorized to issue such Certificates has been put on the website of Shrine Board.
He added that for ensuring against fraudulent Health Certificates, only such Certificates which are issued by Doctor or Medical Institutes authorized by the concerned State Government /UT Administrations shall be accepted at the registering Bank branches. For Yatra 2016, only those Health Certificates which have been issued on or after February 10 shall be valid.
The CEO further informed that persons under the age of 13 years or above the age of 75 years and ladies who are 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, with a different colour coding for each day, to facilitate the Police personnel deployed at the Access Control Gates at Baltal and Chandanwari to regulate the Yatra for the relevant date and route.
In this context, he cautioned the intending Yatris against undertaking this arduous Yatra without securing a Yatra Permit and the required Compulsory Health Certificate.
Reiterating that every Yatri must obtain a Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC) from the Doctors/ Hospitals nominated by the States and UTs before applying to the nearest located designated Bank branch for getting a Yatra Permit, CEO appealed to all potential pilgrims to consult their doctors before embarking on the pilgrimage even after having obtained a Health Certificate some weeks.
Tripathi 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 Domel and Chandanwari.
He appealed to all intending Yatris to complete the necessary formalities for Registration in advance and timely obtain a Yatra Permit, in their own interest, so that they do not face any inconvenience when they embark on their Yatra.
“Yatris who propose to travel by helicopter do not require advance registration as their helicopter tickets shall suffice for this purpose. However, they shall be required to produce the Compulsory Health Certificate, in the prescribed format and issued by an authorized Doctor, before they are allowed to travel by helicopter,” he said.
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