Ensure every facility to Amarnath yatries: Bhalla to admn

Excelsior Correspondent

Minister for Housing Raman Bhalla reviewing arrangements during his visit to Yatri Niwas on Saturday.

JAMMU, June 22: Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture, Raman Bhalla today reviewed the essential services delivery scenario in Jammu and its peripheries, besides the arrangements made by the administration to ensure smooth conduct of ensuing Amarnath Yatra, at a high level meeting here today at Civil Secretariat.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pardeep Gupta, Inspector General of Police Rajesh Kumar, District Development Commissioner Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation, Kuldeep Lal Khajuria, Joint Director Tourism Shiv Kumar Gupta, Superintending Engineer, Power Development Department Gurbachan Singh, General Manager SRTC R. S Jamwal besides other senior officers from Tourism, PDD, PHE, JMC, R&B, police were present in the meeting.
The Minister instructed all the line departments to work in tandem to ensure that the visiting Amarnath Yatries get all basic facilities. He also asked the PHE Department to make available drinking water facilities in sufficient quantity to the yatries at Yatri Niwas. He directed them to install water supply post from Canal head to Yatri Niwas for the convenience of the yatries.
The Minister asked for regular market inspections to keep a check on overcharging by traders, transporters, besides quality of food and eatables at hotels, restaurants and roadside vendors.
Mr Bhalla issued instruction to the Power Development Department (PDD) to gear up men and machinery for providing regular power supply at Yatri Niwas.
Mr. Bhalla stressed for adequate arrangements for medicare facilities at Yatri Niwas. He also inquired about the installation of temporary toilet blocks near the Yatri Niwas and  modernization of Belicharana, Bhagwati Nagar and Canal roads. He asked the PDD and JMC to make functional all the faulty street lights installed on way-side upto Yatri Niwas.
Responding to the issues rasied by General Manager SRTC, the Minister asked the Manager Amarnath Yatri Niwas to arrange accommodation for the drivers near the  Niwas who have been deputed to ply SRTC buses daily up and down to Yatri Niwas, besides to and fro to Baltal and Pahalgam base camps.
Later, the Minister also visited Amarnath Yatri Niwas and inspected the arrangements made by the district administration.