Srinagar: Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Friday reviewed overall preparedness in general and security preparedness in particular for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra here at a high-level meeting.
Besides preparedness of Yatra, targetted killings, security of panchayat representatives and anti-militancy operations were also discussed during the meeting.
Bhalla was accompanied by Director Intelligence Bureau (IB) Arvind Kumar and the meeting was attended by J&K Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, J&K Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, Special DG CID RR Swain, other senior officials of police, paramilitary forces, RAW and intelligence officials.
The Union Home Secretary arrived here on Thursday and wrapped up his Kashmir visit on Friday late afternoon.“The high-level meeting deliberated on many things including preparedness for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra,” a senior official said here. He said during the meeting the Union Home Secretary was apprised about security arrangements for the yatra.
The official said that Bhalla was apprised that routes for the yatra were being secured. Strict surveillance drones on strategic locations shall be in place for Amarnath Yatra 2022, the Home Secretary was informed.
“We apprised him that security arrangements for the forthcoming annual Amarnath Yatra have been scaled up, with authorities deciding to issue a ‘barcode-enabled’ authority slip to pilgrims to keep a track of the actual number of people travelling to and from the cave shrine,” the official said adding that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), that is tasked as the primary force to secure the pilgrimage, will deploy an enhanced number of upgraded electromagnetic chips or RFID (Radio-frequency Identification) tags on vehicles that will transport pilgrims and other civilians associated with the yatra.
The yatra begins on June 30 from the twin route — traditional Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and shorter Baltal track in Ganderbal district. It will conclude on August 15, the day Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated.
“In the meeting it was said that the shrine board authorities and security agencies have prepared a detailed plan to ensure that all pilgrims who register for the yatra are given the barcoded authority slips that will contain their vital details, photographs and contact numbers,” the official said.
He said that the meeting was apprised that there will be access control checking gadgets that will be deployed both at the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. The barcode will capture all the information of a pilgrim and it can be accessed by a click of the mouse.
Keeping in the mind the security challenges that emerged after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, the security forces have also decided to deploy an enhanced number of its counter-IED teams that will sweep roads and vehicles against such threats.
Besides preparedness of Yatra, targeted killings, security of panchayat representatives and anti-militancy operations were also discussed during the meeting.
“Targeted killings and measures to stop them were also discussed threadbare during the meeting,” the official said, adding that security apparatus of Panchayat representatives were also discussed.
It may be mentioned that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has seen a sudden wave of targeted killings of civilians in recent days.
Meanwhile, with Jammu and Kashmir eying on the historic Amarnath pilgrimage this year, additional companies of security forces have started to arrive in Kashmir who would be deployed for the smooth conduct of pilgrimage this year.
Every day at least four companies of additional security forces arrive in Kashmir who are going to be deployed along the highways, at base camps, vulnerable points and also at en-route cave shrine of Amarnath in Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal, Sonmarg in Ganderbal districts.
“The process of bringing additional security forces to Kashmir for smooth conduct of pilgrimage has started. Each day, on an average, four additional companies arrive in Kashmir. The companies are of CRPF, ITBP, BSF and Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB),” an official privy to the development said. He said that the process will continue till May end and will be deployed accordingly.
An official said Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla reached Srinagar to review the preparations of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and Security Agencies with regard to Yatra.
Bhalla chaired a meeting in Srinagar where he, according to sources, hailed the synergy being maintained by police, army, CRPF, BSF and other security agencies. However, he stressed on making a fool-proof security cover to ensure smooth and incident free pilgrimage this year.
During the meeting, the sources said that Bhalla stressed on keeping a close watch on suspects and directed the security officials to speed up the anti-militancy operations ahead of pilgrimage. In response, sources said, he was told that security forces have decided to launch a major offensive against militants ahead of the pilgrimage this year.
The yatra will begin on June 30 this year and last for 43 days. “A multi-layer security grid remains in place for the incident free Yatra,” sources privy to the meeting said. ( WITH KNO INPUTS)