Srinagar, Apr 25: A close liaison between police and security forces was imperative for a trouble-free Amarnath pilgrimage scheduled to begin in the first week of July in south Kashmir, a senior police official said today.
“There is a need to have a close liaison between police and security forces deployed at various places enroute to the 3,880 metre-high cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-shivlingam,” Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Farooq Ahmad said.
Farooq, who reviewed security arrangements in connection with annual pilgrimage at Pahalgam, the traditional base camp along the 45-km track, asked upon police officers to ensure close coordination at points and places of public dealing.
Arrangements with regard to the ‘yatra’ from the shorter 16-km Baltal route were reviewed at an officers meeting held at Ganderbal under the chairmanship of District Development Commissioner Ifthikhar-ul-Husnain Bari and Additional Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), Saugat Biswas.
The meeting was attended by Civil, Police and BRO authorities and discussed in detail the measures to ensure trouble-free yatra, an official spokesman said.
Bari said that out of nearly five lakh pilgrims last year, 2.75 lakh pilgrims went to the shrine via the Baltal route.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 25 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST