By IANS,
Srinagar: Security arrangements for the month and a half long annual pilgrimage to Jammu and Kashmir’s cave shrine of Amarnath scheduled to begin June 29 were finalised at a high-level meeting here Saturday.
Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda held a meeting with senior police, army, paramilitary, intelligence and civil administration officers.
The meeting discussed security arrangements for the pilgrims. The officials were informed that elaborate arrangements have been put in place in the valley and the Jammu region for their security.
While discussing the traffic and other arrangements, the officials were informed that a telecommunication network had started functioning at various locations across the state to coordinate among various agencies involved in the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.
“Intelligence inputs also came under discussion and it was decided that the control rooms established by different agencies will coordinate and keep vigil on the situation to foil any attempt by miscreants,” a police statement said.
Addressing the meeting, Khoda emphasised on coordination at all levels to make the pilgrimage successful.
During the meeting, it was decided that to meet any eventuality the disaster management set-up would be activated and rescue teams would be provided support to assist the pilgrims.
The annual Amarnath pilgrimage is undertaken by people from all over the country to the cave shrine devoted to Lord Shiva located at an altitude of 13,500 feet. A stalagmite of ice, considered an icon of Lord Shiva, is the main attraction of the pilgrims.
Last year, nearly half a million pilgrims visited the shrine in the Pir Panjal range which is approachable through mountainous tracks from south and central Kashmir.