NEW DELHI, June 12: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting in the national capital on Friday to review preparations for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting will focus on security arrangements, logistics, and coordination among multiple agencies, including Central Armed Police Forces, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and other security establishments, to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the 57-day pilgrimage.
The Yatra is scheduled to begin on July 3 and conclude on August 28. Officials said the review will cover deployment strategies, surveillance systems, and emergency response mechanisms, given the sensitive terrain and security considerations in the region.
Senior officials expected to attend the meeting include National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief of Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi, and CRPF Director General Central Reserve Police Force G.P. Singh, along with other senior officials.
Authorities have already declared both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes as no-flying zones from July 1 until the end of the Yatra. Helicopter services will not be available during the pilgrimage, and devotees will undertake the journey on foot or use ponies and palkis.
The Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, organised by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, attracts thousands of pilgrims every year who travel to the Himalayan cave shrine to pay obeisance to the naturally formed ice Shiva lingam.
