STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar along with Additional Director General of Police Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh on Friday held a meeting with civil society members and concerned officers to review the arrangements for annual Baba Budha Amarnath Ji Yatra.
The meeting was attended by Director Tourism, Vivekanand Rai; Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Avny Lavasa, DD Planning, Munish Dutta besides senior officers of Police, Traffic, Health, PWD, JPDCL, ULB, Jal Shakti, JKRTC and members of Baba Amarnath and Budha Amarnath Yatri Niyas and other civil society members.
Deputy Commissioners of Poonch, Rajouri and Reasi along with SSPs participated in the meeting through video conferencing.
Pertinently, the annual yatra was not conducted in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 pandemic. This year the yatra will commence on July 29 from Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar Jammu.
During the meeting, the issues related to security, transportation of pilgrims, setting up of langers, medical facilities, sanitation, water and power supply, security, traffic, lodging and boarding of pilgrims were discussed.
The Deputy Commissioner Poonch apprised the Div Com that around 12 places with the capacity of over 4000 have been identified for providing accommodation to the pilgrims in the district.
The Div Com instructed DC Poonch to make available all basic facilities for safe and comfortable stay of yatris. He asked the DC to ensure better sanitation, hygienic food, regular water, power supply at all the designated places.
The Div Com also asked the Chief Engineer PWD to ensure filling of potholes, blacktopping of roads which lead to the Shrine.
The Div Com emphasized upon the need for ensuring adequate arrangements by working in a coordinated manner and stressed for ensuring sanitation, mobile toilets, medicare facilities, mobile toilets en-route stations at Akhnoor, Nowshera, Sundarbani, Rajouri etc.
It was informed that the pilgrims on their return also pay obeisance at Shiv Khori Shrine. The Div Com directed Deputy Commissioner Reasi to make all necessary arrangements for pilgrims to ensure smooth conduct of Yatra.
During the meeting, the ADGP reviewed security arrangements for Yatra. He was informed that all security arrangements were in place for smooth conduct of Yatra.
The ADGP directed SSP Rajouri and Poonch to ensure adequate deployment of Police personnel en-route, strengthening of nakas, and strict vigil for smooth conduct of Annual Yatra.