Governor reviews arrangements for Amarnathji Yatra 2013

Jammu, February 26 The arrangements being made for Shri Amarnathji Yatra, which is scheduled to begin on 28th June 2013 and conclude on 21st August, 2013, were reviewed here today by Governor Shri N. N. Vohra, who is also the Chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.

 The CEO briefed the Chairman about the to-date measures taken to commence the registration of Yatris on 18th March 2013. 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. He further stated that 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 registration on 18th March 2013. The Chairman was informed that, for the convenience of the applicant-Yatris, the list of Bank Branches, format of the Application Form, and format of the Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC) have 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 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: (i) Registration procedure to be followed by Yatris; (ii) requirement on the part of every Yatri to furnish the prescribed Compulsory Health Certificate; (iii) details of the doctors/medical institutes who are authorized by various States/UTs to issue Compulsory Health Certificates; and (iv) Do’s and Don’ts to be followed by the Yatris during the course of the Yatra.

The Chairman, who was briefed about the arrangements being made for protecting the environment of the Yatra area, inspected samples of (i) pictorial signages urging the Yatris not use plastics and polythene in the Yatra area; (ii) display boards showing the Do’s and Don’ts to be followed by the Yatris; (iii) dust bins and (iv) water filters to be installed in the Yatra area. Chairman gave certain suggestions to Board’s General Manager (Works) to make the display board and signages more attractive, and asked the CEO to work out the location-wise requirements of display boards, signages, dust-bins and water filters, and ensure that these items were timely installed in the Yatra area. He also asked CEO to take up the matter regarding enforcement of ban of entry of plastics in the Yatra area with the Chief Secretary. While reviewing the progress of upgraded STPs being constructed at the Base Camps of Baltal and Nunwan, the Chairman asked the CEO to follow-up the matter with State Tourism Department for ensuring that the upgraded Sewage Treatment Plant at Nunwan Base Camp is completed before 31st May, 2013. The CEO was also asked to ensure that proper sanitation facilities are made timely available to the Yatris and other Service Providers.

Shri Choudhary briefed the Chairman about the to-date action taken to implement the directions passed by Supreme Court in the WP (Civil) 284/2012 regarding arrangements to be made for the ensuing Shri Amarnathji Yatra. 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. It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had constituted a Sub-Committee comprising Chief Secretary, J&K; Home Secretary J&K; and Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, 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.

Source: http://www.scoopnews.in/det.aspx?q=27232