Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha today chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials at Baltal in Ganderbal and reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra-2026, The meeting was attended by Shri K.N. Rai, Member, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board; Shri Nalin Prabhat, DGP J&K; Shri S.J.M.Gillani, Special DG Coordination PHQ; Dr.Mandeep K Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor and CEO Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board; Shri Anshul Garg, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Shri Rahul Yadav, Managing Director JKPDCL and Nodal Officer for Baltal Axis; Shri VK Birdi, IGP Kashmir; Shri M. Suleman Choudhary, IGP Traffic J&K; Shri Rajiv Omprakashn, DIG CKR; Shri Jatin Kishore, Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal; Shri Sudhanshu Dhama, SSP Ganderbal; Ms Shreya Singhal, Director Information; Ms Anoo Malhotra, DG Rural Sanitation J&K and senior officers of civil administration, police and security forces.
The Lieutenant Governor reviewed the infrastructure, security measures, and overall arrangements to ensure that all preparations are complete. The Lieutenant Governor directed all the stakeholder departments to make certain that all amenities are in place and that devotees of Lord Shiva are welcomed into an environment that is safe, comfortable, and well-organized.
“My priority is that every pilgrim can enjoy the spiritual journey and leave with a truly enriching and fulfilling experience. The sacred Yatra is a moment of faith, and shared joy. I want the arrangements to reflect that spirit, ensuring that Teerth Yatris are well cared for," the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor reviewed the arrangements in place with regard to sanitation, evacuation plan, weather forecasting, holding areas for pilgrims, parking facilities, langars, transportation, healthcare services, drinking water and power supply, buffer stock of essential commodities, road maintenance, flood mitigation measures, disaster management preparedness, animal husbandry services, registration counters and other essential infrastructure.
The Lieutenant Governor directed the Police and other security agencies to maintain the highest level of vigilance and ensure robust coordination for the safety and security of all pilgrims. Stressing the importance of efficient pilgrim management, the Lieutenant Governor instructed the concerned departments to increase the number of on-the-spot registration counters to facilitate quicker registration and minimize waiting time for devotees.
Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal presented a comprehensive overview of the preparations of line departments ahead of the annual yatra. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Ganderbal, briefed the meeting on the security plan, including deployment of personnel, area domination, surveillance measures, access control, traffic management and emergency response mechanisms.