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| Govt, SASB to jointly develop facilities | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 29: In order to provide improved basic facilities for Amarnath pilgrimage, the state government has decided to fully cooperate with the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), headed by Governor, NN Vohra, during the ensuing annual 'Yatra' to the cave shrine, situated at a height of 13500 ft in eastern Kashmir, considered to be the abode of Lord Shiva and his consort, Parvati.
During the last several years there has been a conflict between the government, favouring reduction in the yatra period from two months to one month, and the Shrine Board opposing the idea on the plea that more period was required for enabling over three lakh pilgrims to make it to the holy cave. In 2008, the conflict between the Congress led coalition government and the Shrine Board over the diversion of land for building facilities for the pilgrims resulted in the fall of the duly elected government. It was so when the PDP withdrew its support to the Congress because the PDP opposed the revocation of the land diversion order.
But this time there is no such misunderstanding and senior functionaries of the Departments of Tourism, Health, PDD, PHE and the police have assured the Shrine Board that they would be able to develop the much needed facilities for the pilgrims on the Pahalgam and Baltal routes days before the start of the yatra.
The Tourism Department has earmarked over Rs 3 crore for setting up wayside restaurants, huts and shelter sheds on both the routes.
Out of it Rs1.50 crore have been allocated for infrastructure development in Sonamarg areas which is, at present, undergoing a major face-lift.
The Tourism Department functionaries said that whatever facilities were being developed in Sonamarg and other areas could be utilised by the tourists after the end of the pilgrimage. The state police authorities have framed a comprehensive programme for providing adequate security cover to the pilgrims right from Jammu up to the cave. The pilgrims travelling by road from Jammu will be provided security escort during the yatra period.The CRPF jawans will guard various sensitive spots on the 300-km long Jammu-Srinagar highway.
It has not been yet decided whether the security pickets at various sensitive spots between Udhampur and Banihal will be manned by the troops or by the paramilitary forces.
While the PDD and the PHE officials have been directed to keep in ready the plan of providing uninterrupted electricity and drinking water supply, the officials of the Health Directorate have been directed to keep ready the medicines, stretchers, oxygen cylinders, other life saving equipments and drugs for the benefit of pilgrims.
The Pahalgam Development Authority has been entrusted with the upgrading and upkeeping of the mountain track the Shrine Board will carry on track development exercise on Baltal-cave route.
The Government agencies have informed the Shrine Board that the tracks would be cleared of snow and landslides by the end of next month so that if some visitors wished they could visit the holy cave weeks before the start of the yatra.
In the past groups of tourists, ignoring security advice, have been seen visiting the cave in June and first week of July.
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