Governor NN Vohra, who is also the chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), Tuesday pitched for ‘early implementation’ of the Supreme Court directions on the Amarnath Yatra. An official spokesman said Vohra reviewed the arrangements for the Yatra-2013 at a high-level meeting here, which was also attended by the SASB’s Chief Executive Officer, Navin K Choudhary. “Choudhary briefed the Chairman about the to-date action taken to implement the directions passed by the Supreme Court in the WP (Civil) 284/2012 regarding arrangements to be made for the ensuing Shri Amarnathji Yatra,” the spokesman said. “The Governor asked the CEO to take up all important pending matters with Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, J&K for early implementation of the directions issued by the Apex Court.” The spokesman said the Supreme Court had constituted a Sub-Committee comprising Chief Secretary, J&K, Home Secretary J&K and Chief Executive Officer SASB to implement the directions contained in its judgement “which has made members of the Sub-Committee personally answerable to the Supreme Court in this regard.” The Supreme Court in December 2012 said it is the government's constitutional obligation to provide basic facilities to pilgrims who visit religious places and directed Centre and J&K government to ensure proper health and other amenities to Amarnath yatris. Observing that arrangements for the yatris near the Holy Shrine are “pathetic”, the apex court issued a slew of directions to the governments and the Amarnath Shrine Board for widening the walking tracks to the holy cave which may be covered by pre-fabricated tiles. “It is the obligation of the State to provide safety, health care, means to freely move and to profess the religion in the manner as they desire insofar as it is within the limitations of law," a bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar said in their 67-page judgment. The apex court had earlier appointed a Special High Powered Committee (SHPC) to recommend the measures to be taken to curb the growing number of casualties of Amarnath pilgrims. It comprised of representatives from different Ministries of Centre, Chief Secretary and other officers of J&K, Director Generals of the Border Security Force and the Border Roads Organizations etc.
Around 6.20 lakh pilgrims undertook yatra this year out of which 93 people lost their lives. Accepting the SHPC's recommendations, the bench said, "There shall be separate one way passage for palkis and horses as one unit and the pedestrians as the other, near and at the passages leading to the Holy Shrine.""There has to be a regular width of the track which in any case should not be less than 12 feet and may be wider than that if so recommended by the committee concerned. These tracks should duly provide protection or any other support towards the open sides. It may by iron grills, supporting walls etc. As may be considered appropriate by the committee," the bench said.
The Yatra is scheduled to begin on 28th of June and conclude on 21st August. “The CEO briefed the Chairman about the to-date measures taken to commence the registration of Yatris from 18th March 2013,” the spokesman said. “He informed that arrangements have been made to provide registration counters through 422 outlets for the ensuing Yatra as compared to 276 outlets provided last year. 121 Branches of J&K Bank, 50 Branches of YES Bank, 101 Branches of State Bank of India, 100 Branches of Punjab National Bank and 50 Branches of HDFC Bank would be launching the registration. For convenience of the applicant-Yatris, the list of Bank Branches, format of the Application Form, and format of the Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC) has been uploaded on the Board's website: shriamarnathjishrine.com.”
The CEO also informed that state-wise list of Doctors/Institutes authorized to issue CHC in respect of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Chandigarh and Tripura has also been put on Board's website. “To ensure wide publicity of all Yatra related matters, Chairman asked CEO, SASB, to issue very clear Advisories, from time to time, to inform all intending Yatris about the requirement of obtaining the prescribed Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC) from the State Government authorized doctors/ medical institutes. The Chairman also asked the CEO to address Heath Secretaries of all those States/UTs which are yet to nominate authorised Doctors/Medical Institutes and ask them to send the lists by 28th February 2013 so that the Yatris hailing from these States/UTs do not have to face any avoidable hardships,” the spokesman added. “The Chairman desired the CEO to meet the senior most officials of Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Doordarshan, and AIR this week to ensure the early launch of the awareness campaign regarding: Registration procedure to be followed by Yatris; requirement on the part of every Yatri to furnish the prescribed Compulsory Health Certificate; details of the doctors/medical institutes who are authorized by various States/UTs to issue Compulsory Health Certificates; and Do’s and Don’ts to be followed by the Yatris during the course of the Yatra.” Others who attended the meeting include Preet Pal Singh, Additional Chief Executive Officer, SASB, RK Pandita, General Manager (Works) SASB, Rajneesh Kumar, Deputy CEO and other senior officers.