Security and other arrangements for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra will be “suitably rationalised” by this month-end in view of the “progressive decline” in the number of pilgrims visiting the south Kashmir Himalayas’ cave shrine, an official said.
This was informed during a meeting chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra on Sunday.
“Following the progressive decline in the strength of the Shri Amarnathji Yatra, the governor, who is also the chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), visited the Nunwan Yatra base camp, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, today,” a Raj Bhavan spokesman said. Issues arising from the steady decrease in the daily number of pilgrims were discussed with Camp Director Surinder Mohan Sharma, Deputy Commissioner,
Anantnag, Mohammad Younis Malik, and other officers concerned, he said.
The governor was informed that a good number of ‘pony-wallahs’ and ‘palki wallahs’ had stopped their services, the official said.
Seven out of the 10 ‘langar’ organisations at the base camp would also be leaving in a phased-manner as the daily arrival at the camp had reduced “considerably”, the spokesman said. He said Vohra observed that the existing arrangements would be “suitably rationalised after July 31 in consultation with authorities involved in organising the daily convoys of yatris from Jammu”.
The Governor noted that this matter had already been discussed with the security forces, the spokesman said.