NEW DELHI: Union Home minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparations for the Amarnath Yatra at a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Friday. The yatra, as per the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, will start on July 1.
The meeting was attended by Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary, Director of Intelligence Bureau, Director Generals of Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force, Director General of Border Roads Organisation, Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, other senior officials of the Army, Central Government and Jammu and Kashmir administration.
“It is the priority of the (PM Narendra) Modi government that Amarnath pilgrims should have comfortable darshan and should not face any difficulty,” HM Shah said while directing officials to make adequate security arrangements on the entire route of the Shri Amarnath Yatra.
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HM Shah stressed the importance of making smooth arrangements on the route from the airport and railway station to the Yatra base camp. He directed them to provide air service from Srinagar and Jammu at night for the convenience of the pilgrims.
HM Shah directed officials to ensure an adequate stock of oxygen cylinders and their refilling. He also asked for the availability of additional teams of doctors.
The Home Minister also directed officials to arrange an adequate number of medical beds and the deployment of ambulances and helicopters to meet any medical emergency.
He gave instructions to make proper arrangements for all necessary facilities for Amarnath Yatris, including travel, stay, electricity, water, communication and health. He also directed officials to ensure a better communication system on the Yatra route and the deployment of machines to immediately open routes in case of a landslide.
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During the meeting, it was apprised that all the pilgrims on the Shri Amarnath Yatra will be given RFID cards so that their real-time location can be traced. “₹5 lakh insurance for each Amarnath Yatri and ₹50,000 for each animal will be done,” he said.
Apart from this, arrangements for tent city, Wi-Fi hotspots and proper lighting will be made on the travel route. Additionally, online live darshan of Baba Barfani, live telecasts of morning and evening aarti in the holy Amarnath cave and religious and cultural programs will be organised at the base camp.