JAMMU, MAR 05: Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha chaired the 48th meeting of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB) at Raj Bhawan, where key preparations for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra were discussed on Tuesday. The annual pilgrimage is set to commence on July 3 from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes and will conclude on August 9, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.
As per the statement issued to The Newsroom 24 – Awaz, the meeting was attended by Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj, D. C. Raina, Kailash Mehra Sadhu, K. N. Rai, Pitambar Lal Gupta, Dr. Shailesh Raina, and Prof. Vishwamurti Shastri, along with senior officials from the UT administration and the Shrine Board.
The Board reviewed various measures to enhance facilities and services for pilgrims, considering an expected increase in footfall for the 2025 Yatra. Discussions included increasing lodging capacity in Jammu and Srinagar, operationalizing Yatri facilitation centers for e-KYC, issuance of RFID cards, and expanding on-spot registration at key locations such as Nowgam and Katra Railway Stations. Additional infrastructure upgrades were proposed at Baltal, Pahalgam, Nunwan, and Pantha Chowk in Srinagar.
Lieutenant Governor Sinha emphasized the need for seamless arrangements, urging officials to ensure proper amenities along the pilgrimage routes. He also called for increasing the capacity at Yatri Niwas, Pantha Chowk, to accommodate more pilgrims.
The meeting further deliberated on insurance coverage for pilgrims and service providers, expansion of online services, track maintenance, decongestion measures at the Holy Cave, disaster preparedness, medical facilities, helicopter services, security arrangements, and weather forecasting infrastructure. A digital prepaid system for hiring services was also discussed.
Dr. Mandeep K. Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board, presented a detailed briefing on the arrangements for the Yatra. The Lieutenant Governor expressed gratitude to the Board members for their guidance and contributions to the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary (Jal Shakti) Shaleen Kabra, DGP Nalin Prabhat, Principal Secretary (Home) Chandraker Bharti, Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy Commissioners of Ganderbal and Anantnag, and senior officials from the UT Administration and Shrine Board, both in person and via virtual mode.
