Principal Secretary to LG reviews preparations
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 2: The registration for 56 days -long annual Shri Amarnath Ji yatra started from today at 46 bank branches across the country while a high level team led by Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor, Niteshwar Kumar visited the base camp Pahalgam to take the stock of preparations to be put in place for the annual pilgrimage this year.
According to official sources, 200 yatris were registered at 46 counters all over country on the first day of registration today. Sources said that it being the holiday on account of Good Friday, the registration was low but it will pick up in coming days.
The registration is being made by three banks including J&K Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Yes Bank. The registration which started today will continue up to last date of darshan at holy cave of Shri Amarnath Ji situated in deep Himalayas in South Kashmir district of Anantnag at an altitude of 3888 meters.
The 56 -day long yatra will start on June 28 and last up to Shravan Purnima falling on August 22 which coincides with holy festival of Raksha Bandhan.
Meanwhile, to take the stock of preparations of the yatra, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor, Niteshwar Kumar led a high level official team to base camp of Pahalgam in South Kashmir district of Anantnag today. He was accompanied by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, P K Pole, District Development Commissioner, Anantnag, Dr Pyush Singla, who is also the Yatra Officer, Anoop Soni, Additional CEO Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and Assistant Yatra Officer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA), Mushtaq Ahmed Simnani.
The visiting officers discussed all facilities to be in place for the pilgrims embarking on annual yatra this year, layout plan, the cleanliness of tracks enroute to holy cave etc.
To ensure the smooth, yatra the official team also visited the Nunwan the base camp of pilgrimage near Pahalgam. The Principal Secretary to LG held a meeting with the officers to take the stock of the preparations being put in place for the successful conduct and hassle free holy Amarnath yatra this year.
The Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag briefed him about the yatra plan vis a vis their security, accommodation, health care, food, drinking water, electricity, sanitation and other facilities to be made available to the pilgrims at base camp and enroute the holy cave.
He also briefed him about the steps being taken to execute the plan smoothly for successful pilgrimage to the holy cave.
Assistant Yatra Officer and CEO, PDA , Mushtaq Ahmed Simnani apprised the Principal Secretary and other officers about the facilities available in Pahalgam and Nunwan.
It may be recalled that Yatra during 2020 was not performed due to COVID-19 pandemic. However, the holy mace was taken to cave shrine by Mahant Deependra Giri Ji Mahraj, the founder of True Trust and custodian of Chhari Mubarak of Shri Amarnath Ji and a group of Sadhus to perform the traditional rituals and pooja at cave shrine.
In 2019 the annual pilgrimage was cancelled half way ahead of abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 A, reorganization of then J&K State into two Union Territories on August 5. However, Chhari Mubarak was taken for the darshan of the cave shrine in special choppers that year too.
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