Srinagar, May 30: Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta on Tuesday said that Jammu and Kashmir administration is fully ready for Amarnath Yatra 2023 and elaborate arrangements will be placed for the Yatra that will begin from 1st week of July.
Talking to media persons in Jammu on the sidelines of the Jammu Municipal Corporation event, the Chief Secretary Mehta said that administration is ready for Amarnath Yatra and elaborate arrangements will be made for the 62 days long Yatra.
“We have better arrangements for devotees this year as compared to the past. Whatever number of devotees visit J&K, the administration is ready to host them and we are expecting a good number of devotees this year,” he said.
Regarding promotion of religious tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Secretary Mehta said the government is working to make Jammu as the best tourist destination.
“There is a lot of development taking place in Jammu. Suchetgarh in RS Pora is being promoted as a border tourism destination, Suransar, Mansar and Mantali tourist destinations and number of tourists is also increasing in Jammu,” he said adding, that more places are also being promoted on tourism map.
Annual Amarnath Yatra will commence on 1st July and will culminate on August 31, 2023.
Meanwhile, police and other agencies are gearing up for multi-tier security cover for Amarnath Yatra this year.
An official at Kashmir Police Zone told Rising Kashmir said there would be multi-tier security arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra.
“There will be providing three-tier security arrangements for Yatra. Drones and CCTV’s cameras will be used for surveillance during Yatra to avoid any untoward incident,” he said.
The official said they have discussed ways and means to tackle threats like vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices in south Kashmir.
Earlier this month, officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), CID and the Army held a meeting in Anantnag.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu has canceled all leaves of doctors and para-medical staff except maternity leave and commuted leave on medical grounds from June 19 in view of the Amarnath Yatra.
According to a circular, Director Health Services Jammu has directed all concerned officials not to sanction or forward leave applications of doctors and para-medical staff.
“In view of Amarnath Yatra 2023, all types of leaves of doctors and para-medical staff except maternity le commuted leave on medical grounds, stands cancelled from June 19” reads the circular.
Over 3.65 lakh yatris participated in the pilgrimage this year, which, as per the UT administration, is the highest figure since 2016. Additionally, helicopter services were availed by the yatris from four sectors instead of two in the past. Two new heli-sectors from Srinagar to Neelgrath and Srinagar to Pahalgam opened for yatris.
