Ahead of the annual Mela Mata Kheer Bhawani, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, on Saturday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess preparedness and ensure seamless arrangements for devotees visiting the revered shrine at Tulmulla, Ganderbal, as well as other prominent temple sites at Tikker (Kupwara), Manzgam and Devsar (Kulgam), and Logripora (Anantnag).
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Commissioners of Ganderbal, Srinagar, Kupwara, Kulgam and Anantnag, along with senior officers from the Health Department, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Public Health Engineering (PHE), Tourism, Transport, Fire & Emergency Services, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Jammu & Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC), Relief and Rehabilitation Department, and Police.
Representatives of various Kashmiri Pandit organizations, including Soan Kashmir Front and Mata Kheer Bhawani Ji Yatra Welfare Society, also participated in the meeting and shared their suggestions regarding the conduct of the annual festival.
During the meeting, representatives briefed the Divisional Commissioner about the schedule of religious events and highlighted requirements relating to transportation, accommodation, tentage, mobile toilet facilities, blankets, uninterrupted power supply, drinking water, sanitation and illumination of temple premises.
Reviewing the preparedness of all departments, the Divisional Commissioner directed the concerned agencies to ensure uninterrupted availability of essential services, including safe drinking water, reliable electricity, adequate transport facilities and medical aid for devotees.
He emphasized the importance of special cleanliness drives and directed the concerned departments to undertake desiltation of the canal flowing through the Tulmulla temple complex to enhance the overall ambience and provide a clean, aesthetically pleasing and spiritually enriching environment for devotees.
The Divisional Commissioner instructed Srinagar Municipal Corporation to deploy adequate mobile toilet facilities at the shrine and directed the executing agencies to expedite all ongoing works at Tulmulla well before the commencement of the mela.
Highlighting the expected influx of devotees from Jammu, Delhi and other parts of the country, he stressed the need for close coordination among all departments to facilitate smooth movement of buses and ensure timely arrival of pilgrims at their destinations.
He further directed all concerned agencies to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, sanitation and public convenience at Tulmulla and other shrine locations that witness the participation of thousands of Kashmiri Pandit devotees during the festival.
Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants), Dr. Arvind Karwani, along with members of various temple committees, joined the meeting virtually from Jammu. They reviewed the preparations being made for the annual festival, expressed their readiness to facilitate the pilgrimage, and shared valuable feedback and suggestions aimed at ensuring comprehensive arrangements and a seamless experience for devotees visiting the shrines.
Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal was instructed to ensure effective coordination among all stakeholders and oversee the provision of requisite facilities at the temple complex and designated accommodation sites. Senior Superintendent of Police, Ganderbal, was directed to put in place comprehensive and foolproof security arrangements to ensure a safe, peaceful and hassle-free pilgrimage for all devotees.
The Divisional Commissioner reiterated the administration’s commitment to facilitating the smooth conduct of the annual festival and called upon all departments to work in close coordination to ensure that devotees are provided with all necessary amenities and a comfortable pilgrimage experience.