High-powered Committee recommendations on Amarnath yatra to be placed before Cabinet

Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Oct 3:  The State Government has studied in details the suggestions submitted by the high-powered Committee on Amarnath pilgrim woes and is likely to place the report before the Cabinet in its forthcoming meeting for it’s final clearance.
These submissions have been made by the State Advocate General, M Y Qadri while appearing on behalf of the State Government in the case pertaining to the pilgrimage, which had been listed before the Supreme Court bench comprising Justice B S Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar two days back.
The State Government has submitted before the Apex Court that it will place before Cabinet all the relevant information pertaining to the case and subsequently file a response of the Cabinet before the bench during the next date of hearing on October 11.
“The Cabinet would discuss all the recommendations of the high powered Committee, which comprised Secretaries of various departments including those from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, besides the State Chief Secretary. The Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister would then either give its final clearance or submit further suggestions on the subject”, sources said.
Besides this report, sources stated that the Cabinet would also consider the proposals submitted by leading pharmaceutical company of the State – M/s Piramal Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. to offer donation for providing healthcare facilities during the Amarnath pilgrimage.
“The Company has expressed its willingness to extend all possible facilities to pilgrims visiting the revered shrine and provide the required financial resources for the same”, sources said.  The Company through its counsel has submitted before the Bench that before committing the financial resources they would also like to know from the State Government as to how the funds would be utilized.
The proposal was of great significance in view of fact that nearly 100 persons had lost their lives during the Amarnath                 pilgrimage this year. The fact had also been corroborate by the Supreme Court-mandated high power Committee, which had submitted before the bench earlier that medical infirmities were the prime cause of death of pilgrims on the yatra. The summary of the report, which had been earlier submitted by Solicitor General Rohinton Nariman, had stated that the committee wanted the Union Health Ministry to facilitate appropriate training for doctors and paramedics deployed on the stretch.
However, sources stated that the State Government wasn’t in favour of accepting donations from any particular company so as to dispel the impression that it wasn’t capable of arranging medicare for the pilgrimage. “The Government is keen to extend all possible facilities to the visiting devotees as was being done over the past several years”, sources asserted.
“The State Cabinet would also discuss the suggestions of another applicant to the case – Shiv Sewa Samiti, which had been submitted before the Apex Court”, sources stated. Senior counsel M N Krishnamania appeared for the Intervenors – Shiv Sewa Samiti, which were the petitioners in the writ petition before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court that had been filed some time back.  However, that writ petition had been disposed of by the High Court in view of the pendency of the present petition.
Prior to this, the State Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal had held a meeting with the Administrative Secretaries of the concerned Departments on September 26 to discuss the report submitted by the high – powered Committee before the Supreme Court bench. The meeting also discussed the response of the State Government to the recommendations on various issues”, sources said.
The Apex Court had on July 20 this year constituted a high-level committee to recommend measures to prevent the growing number of casualties among Amarnath pilgrims saying it has become a permanent problem and a regular affair.
The Court had passed the order after taking suo motu note of media reports of pilgrims’ deaths allegedly due to lack of proper facilities and medical care for them.
The committee comprises secretaries of various departments including those from the ministries of Environment and Forest, the Home Affairs and the Health and Family Welfare, besides the Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary.
The Court had asked the Committee to visit the shrine and give the report to Jammu and Kashmir Governor who is also the Chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, responsible for holding the annual Amarnath pilgrimage.
The Apex Court had also ordered that the Committee would include Directors General of State police, paramilitary forces — CRPF and BSF and the Border Road Organisation, besides the CEO of Sri Amarnath Shrine Board and an environmentalist, to be nominated by the Jammu and Kashmir Governor.
The Committee was to examine and report on various issues, which include widening of passage, checking pilgrims’ health, improving medical facilities for them, deployment of adequate security personnel and assessing environment impact, the court had said.

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