Amarnath yatra begins June 28, registration online from Apr 1
This year’s Amarnath pilgrimage will take place between June 28 and August 22, in accordance with government-issued SOPs in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, a board spokesperson said Saturday that administers the sanctuary.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, it added.
Among those present at the meeting were Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam; Finance Commissioner Atal Dulloo, members of the Department of Health and Medical Education, as well as other SASB members.
Pre-registration of pilgrims will start from April 1 to 446 designated branches of National Bank of Punjab, Bank of Jammu and Kashmir and YES Bank, located in 37 states and UT.
The Board will also allow a live broadcast of morning and evening aartis for devotees from around the world.
In addition, pilgrims can download the “Shri Amarnathji Yatra” application from the Google Play Store to get real-time information about the yatra and to make use of various online services.
The Board deliberated extensively on the number of yatris that would be allowed to register, by dates and routes, for this year’s Yatra. Taking into account the carrying capacity of the existing roads and other available infrastructure in the yatra area, the Board decided to increase the number of pilgrims from 7,500 to 10,000 who make their way daily to the sanctuary from Baltal and also the Chandanwari route. This will be different from the number of pilgrims who would travel by helicopter.
The Lieutenant Governor also directed the authorities to issue special invitations to Akhada Parishads, Acharya Parishads, and explore the possibility of establishing counters in prominent religious places throughout the country to facilitate sadhus.
With particular emphasis on providing the best healthcare facilities to all devoted visitors and service providers, the Lieutenant Governor directed concerned officials to update the current healthcare facilities on both Yatra routes with the latest equipment and increase the strength of medical staff to handle emergency cases.
Regarding the strengthening of the communication channel, the Lieutenant Governor ordered that the telecommunications services be operational two weeks before the start of the yatra in the Holy Cave and through the yatra routes.
It was also ordered to improve the sanitation capacity according to the volume of yatra improved for the base camp and along the routes.
During the meeting, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board approved the improvement of Pujaris’ remuneration from Rs 1000 per day to Rs 1500 per day for the next three years.
Furthermore, as indicated by the Lieutenant Governor at the January 5, 2021 preparatory meeting, the Group’s accidental insurance coverage for Yatris, Service Providers was also improved from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and for ponies from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000.
A discussion was also held on the introduction of RFID tracking and prepaid contracting of services, the spokesperson said.
The Board further ordered that yatris be informed via electronic and print media to secure prescribed mandatory health certificates issued by state or UT designated doctors / hospitals in a timely manner and only after that proceed to seek advance registration from the nearest designated bank. .
The Board also recommended to the Director General to appeal to all prospective pilgrims to consult their doctors before embarking on the pilgrimage. The Director General will also make widely known that no person under the age of 13 and over the age of 75 will be allowed to make the pilgrimage.
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