Umar Raina
Ganderbal, June 2: Labour Commissioner Jammu and Kashmir, Charandeep Singh, on Tuesday said the registration of service providers for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 is underway smoothly across the Union Territory.
He said the Labour Department is making concerted efforts to complete the registration process well ahead of the annual pilgrimage to ensure seamless arrangements for pilgrims.
Speaking to reporters in Ganderbal district, Singh said the Labour Department has launched a comprehensive registration drive for all service providers, including pony handlers, pithuwalas, palki bearers and other workers engaged during the yatra.
“We started this process much earlier and initiated police verification of all service providers. Camps have been established in various districts and locations where these workers reside to facilitate registration and verification,” he said.
The Labour Commissioner said officials also visited RFID card distribution centres to monitor the process and ensure timely issuance of identification cards to registered service providers.
“As you can see, registration is taking place at multiple locations. Our teams are working tirelessly to register all eligible service providers so that the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra can be conducted smoothly and efficiently,” he said.
Singh urged all stakeholders, including union leaders and representatives of pony, palki and pithu associations, to ensure that service providers complete their registration formalities without delay.
“We are awaiting police verification reports in many cases. Once verification is received, registration is completed immediately. Security remains a top priority, and no individual can be cleared for duty without proper verification,” he said.
He informed that the department has fixed June 15 as the deadline for completing the registration process, allowing sufficient time for workers to prepare and reach the designated base camps before the start of the pilgrimage.
The Labour Commissioner appealed to service providers to visit the registration camps with all required documents to avoid last-minute inconvenience.
“We already have the details of many workers who were registered last year and are processing their applications on priority. Last year, camps were established in around 20 districts, and a similar effort is being undertaken this year,” he said.
Singh said police verification requests were forwarded as early as January and authorities are now receiving responses from various districts. He added that workers are contacted through departmental teams and call centres once their RFID cards are ready.
“After receiving the cards, our teams contact the workers telephonically and inform them about the nearest camp for collection. We are making every effort to provide services at their doorstep and ensure a hassle-free process,” he said.
Expressing satisfaction over the arrangements, the Labour Commissioner said the department is not facing any major difficulties and remains confident of completing the registration and verification process within the stipulated timeframe, ensuring smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026.