Skandan calls on Governor
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 11: K Skandan, Joint Secretary (Kashmir Affairs), Union Home Ministry today called on Governor NN Vohra and discussed security affairs with him including arrangements for annual Amarnath yatra.
Mr Vohra and Mr Skandan discussed issues related to internal and external security management and economic development of the State, an official handout said.
However, security arrangements for Amarnath yatra also figured in the meeting.
Meanwhile, all security and related arrangements for the ensuing Shri Amarnathji Yatra were discussed at a high level meeting held at Raj Bhavan here this evening under the chairmanship of Governor N. N. Vohra. The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine this year is scheduled to commence on 25th June25 , simultaneously from Baltal and Chandanwari routes.
The Governor, who is the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, stressed for ensuring that all the required security related arrangements were timely put in position. He also pointed to the need for effective day to day coordination being maintained among the functionaries of all the concerned State Government Civil and Police Departments, Army, Central Police Organizations, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board and all other concerned agencies.
Maj. General Nimbhorkar, GOC Victor Force made a detailed presentation about the arrangements being made for the security grid being put in place, in close coordination with all other security forces. In his presentation he screened the latest photographs of holy cave area, Sheshnag, Panjtarni and other camps, all of which showed huge accumulation of snow in these Camps.
The meeting held detailed discussions in regard to all the envisaged arrangements, including the enforcement of an effective Access Control System at Baltal and Nunwan Base Camps, erection and regulation of gates at Domel and Chandanwari for effective security and regulating the onward movement of registered Yatris towards the holy cave.
The meeting also discussed the need for effective traffic regulation from Lakhanpur Check-Post onwards for ensuring smooth onward movement of the validly registered Yatris to the respective Base Camps.
Other arrangements which came up for discussion were: the deployment of Mountain Rescue Teams (MRTs) of the State Police at identified locations on both the Yatra routes; setting up of the Joint Control Rooms and Disaster Management Centres and their effective coordination with Meteorological Department; deployment of well equipped Fire Fighting Force units at identified locations; provision of adequate number of X-Ray Baggage Scanning units at appropriate locations on both the Yatra routes; installation of CCTV cameras at important locations in the Yatra area; ATC arrangements for the heli-services for the Pahalgam and Baltal routes; location of various services at pre-identified sites etc.
It was decided to put in place a foolproof mechanism of Access Control to stop over-enthusiastic personnel, pilgrims, service providers etc. from proceeding on the arduous track before the scheduled date of commencement of Yatra.
The meeting was informed that the registration of Shri Amarnathji Yatris had commenced on May 7th through 174 Bank Branches located across the country and internet based e-Registration at http://yatra.jkbank.net, which is going on smoothly. One hundred Post Offices across the country will also commence registration of Yatris from May 15th.
Lt. Gen. S. A. Hasnain, GOC, 15 Corps; Kuldeep Khoda, Director General of Police; B. R. Sharma, Principal Secretary, Home; Anirudh Uppal, Special Director General CRPF, J&K; Maj. Gen. R. R. Nimbhorkar, GOC, Victor Force; Air Commodore D. Choudhury, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Srinagar; Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Navin K. Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor and Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board; S. M. Sahai, IGP, Kashmir Zone; B. Srinivas, IGP, CID, J&K; Col. P. B. S. Lamba, Col GS, Victor Force; and Preet Pal Singh, Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board, participated in the meeting.
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