The Hindu : Foolproof security for Amarnath pilgrimage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 30, 2003

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Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

Foolproof security for Amarnath pilgrimage

By Shujaat Bukhari

PAHALGAM JUNE 29. Elaborate security arrangements are on here for this year's Amarnath yatra, in order to avoid any militant strikes.

Even as the Tourism Department, along with other departments, is taking steps for making the pilgrimage by over 1.2 lakh people comfortable, the focus is on security.

The authorities are on their toes as the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, who is also the Pahalgam MLA, do not want the tourist inflow to be affected.

In the past, during the two-month-long yatra, which begins this year on July 12, no civilian was allowed to enter Pahalgam, thus blocking the opportunities for those connected with the tourism trade here.

From last year, however, the base camp has been shifted to Nunwan, ahead of Pahalgam. "We will try our best to keep the flow of tourists going,'' an official said.

This time, as usual, the pilgrims will take the difficult track to the holy cave through Pahalgam in south Kashmir and Baltal in central Kashmir. The registration process has also been made easy through the branches of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank throughout the country.

Though the security is being looked after by the police, there is equal participation of the Army, the Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police at various places.

With the area domination with the Army, which has a complete brigade at its disposal, the corridor protection has been given to the BSF, which has five battalions.

The camp security/ protection is the joint responsibility of the CRPF and the police.

According to sources, around 2,200 CRPF personnel are being moved to Pahalgam in addition to a large number of contingents from the police. The ITBP will take care of the smooth journey of the pilgrims on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. "It is a joint responsibility and this time we are confident that everything will go smoothly,'' a top official told The Hindu.

Sources said that the areas right from Jammu to Pahalgam and Baltal in Sonamarg have been divided into various zones. Even as the major chunk of pilgrims is believed to take the Pahalgam route to reach the cave, some favour the difficult track of Baltal.

This time, the Mufti Government is trying to facilitate longer stay of pilgrims by offering fabulous tourist packages.

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