Easy 'darshan' for Amarnath Yatra pilgrims without any problem is priority of Modi govt: Amit Shah
May 17, 2022
New Delhi [India], May 17 : It is the priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government that pilgrims coming for the Amarnath Yatra should have easy 'darshan' and should not face any problems, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday.
Shah's remarks came while he was reviewing preparations for Amarnath Yatra at a high-level meeting here at the Home Ministry office in the national capital.
Home Minister held two back-to-back marathon meetings regarding security and essential facilities for pilgrims.
"Amit Shah said that it is the priority of the Modi Government that pilgrims coming for the Amarnath Yatra should have easy Darshan and they should not face any problems," a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) mentions.
Instructions have been given to make adequate arrangements for all necessary facilities including movement, lodging, electricity, water, communication and health of Amarnath pilgrims, it further says.
"This is the first yatra after the COVID-19 pandemic and due to the high altitude, adequate arrangements will have to be made for pilgrims who have any health-related problems," says the statement.
In the meeting, it was stressed to increase mobile towers for better communication and dissemination of any information on the travel route, the statement mentioned.
It was emphasised to deploy machines to open the route immediately in case of landslides, it said.
Along with ensuring adequate number of oxygen cylinders, the statement says, adequate medical beds at an altitude of more than 6,000 feet and deployment of ambulances and helicopters to deal with any emergency medical situation will also be provided for the ease of pilgrims.
"All categories of transport services should be increased during the Amarnath Yatra for the convenience of passengers," mentions the statement.
Amarnath Yatra is an annual pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva in Jammu and Kashmir, located in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. The pilgrimage is all set to start on June 30 after a gap of two years.
Resuming the Amarnath pilgrimage is a challenging task as Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed several incidents of targeted killings in the last few months by terrorists following which the Ministry of Home Affairs asked security agencies operating in Jammu and Kashmir to enhance counter-terror operations.
However, online registration for Amarnath Yatra 2022 has started from April 11 and the Home Ministry has already sanctioned nearly 50 companies of CAPF for the purpose of providing security during the pilgrimage as Jammu and Kashmir is expecting nearly five lakh pilgrims visiting the Amarnath cave shrine this year.
While online registration has already begun, the pilgrimage is scheduled to be held for 43 days between June 30 and August 11.
The Jammu and Kashmir government had cancelled the annual Amarnath pilgrimage due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in 2020 and 2021 after a discussion with Amarnathji Shrine Board members.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief Indian Army Lieutenant General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Intelligence Bureau Chief Arvind Kumar attended the meetings.
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General Kuldiep Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, Director General of Police Jammu and Kashmir Dilbag Singh, Director General of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhary also attended the meeting along with other officers from Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
