What Happened at the 49th Board Meeting of Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board?

Srinagar, June 7 (NationPress) The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, presided over the 49th Board meeting of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB). The meeting included esteemed members such as Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj, Kailash Mehra Sadhu, K.K. Sharma, K.N. Rai, Mukesh Garg, Shailesh Raina, Simridhi Bindroo, Suresh Haware, and Vishwamurti Shastri, as mentioned by an official on Saturday.

During the session, the Board conducted a thorough evaluation of the readiness of various departments and suggested several initiatives to enhance the facilities for the devotees.

The discussions covered numerous essential arrangements, including amenities at base camps and along the Yatra route, disaster preparedness, information dissemination, insurance for yatris and service providers, upgrades to Yatra tracks, sanitation, water supply, electricity, transportation, medical and health facilities, telecom connectivity, weather forecasting, a digital pre-paid system for service hiring, fire and emergency services, and civil supplies.

The Lieutenant Governor reviewed the progress on ongoing projects and emphasized timely completion to facilitate the pilgrims.

“The safety and well-being of the pilgrims is our utmost priority. We are dedicated to providing enhanced facilities and services to ensure a smooth and spiritually fulfilling experience for all,” stated the Lieutenant Governor.

Additionally, the meeting addressed the establishment of Yatri Niwas and transit camps at various points along the route, increasing lodging capacity, expanding Prasad Sale counters, operationalizing Yatri facilitation centres, offering online services, issuing RFID cards, and managing registration and verification for pilgrims and service providers.

Dr. Mandeep K. Bhandari, the Chief Executive Officer of the Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, presented an in-depth overview of Yatra arrangements.

It was reported that approximately 331,000 devotees have registered for this year's holy Yatra up to now.

This year, the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra will begin on July 3rd, simultaneously from both the Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district, culminating on August 9th, 2025, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

Attending the meeting were Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department; Nalin Prabhat, DGP; Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary Home; IGPs; Administrative Secretaries; Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Deputy Commissioners of Ganderbal and Anantnag; Additional CEO SASB; and senior officials from the UT Administration, Police, Shrine Board, and BRO, both in person and virtually.