Amit Shah chaired the security review meeting Sources said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, reviewed the security situation in the Union Territory ahead of the Amarnath Yatra beginning on July 1.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and top officials of intelligence agencies, paramilitary forces, police and civil administration attended the meeting in Srinagar.
Shah took stock of the situation in the meeting. Sources said he was given a detailed briefing in which he was apprised of the situation along the International Border as well as the Line of Control.
He said that after the briefing, the Home Minister gave necessary instructions to the security agencies to ensure that there is a peaceful atmosphere in the Union Territory.
The security review meeting took place a few days before the annual Amarnath Yatra. The 62-day annual pilgrimage will begin on July 1 and continue till August 31.
Shah’s instructions for comfortable Amarnath Yatra
In the June 9 meeting in the national capital, Shah had said that the priority of the Narendra Modi government was to ensure a comfortable Amarnath Yatra. He also directed the officials to make adequate security arrangements along the entire pilgrimage routes in Jammu and Kashmir.
The pilgrims are planned to travel through two routes – Baltal and Pahalgam – in Jammu and Kashmir.
travel preparation
All pilgrims will be given RFID cards so that their exact location can be traced and all will be given an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh. Sources said 3.45 lakh people visited the holy cave in 2022 and this year the figure is expected to reach 5 lakh.
The National Disaster Response Force has started identifying ideal places to set up pilgrim camps to avoid any incidents like last year’s floods that claimed 16 lives near the shrine. Aerial surveys can be carried out by a team with expertise in remote sensing and satellite, hydrology and disaster response.
“Once the dangerous water logging is detected, contingency measures will be taken along the pilgrimage routes, especially in areas near the cave shrine,” sources said.
(with PTI inputs)
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