Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Today Inaurated The Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board’s Yatri Niwas Complex at Baltal, Ganderbal for Pilgrims of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.
ONGC will accommodate the facility developed under its corporate social responsibility initiative, 800 pilgrims and will also include registration and security blocks.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Hon’ble Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri for their kind of support to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.
He also thanked ONGC for working for the establishment of Yatri Nawad in Sidhara Jammu, Baltal, Nanwan and Bijbehara at a cost of Rs 240 crore under corporate social responsibility.
“Safe and adequate housing for all devotees is our top priority. We are creating better facilities for pilgrims, achieving the livelihood of local people and service providers. Currently, passenger niva work in Sidhara is happening before October.
Widening the tracks and the establishment of security railings has ensured the safe movement of pilgrims and free from trouble. Today the track is illuminated with grid power and this has given a lot of relief to the pilgrims and also provided an opportunity for 24 × 7 monitoring. Lieutenant Governor said that grid power connectivity from Panchnari to Chandanwari will be ensured by next year.
He also appreciated the contribution of police, security forces, administration, shrine boards, executed agencies, engineers, laborers, sanitation workers, civil society groups, langar service organizations, locals and all other stakeholders for the smooth conduct of the yatra.
During his visit to the Baltal Base Camp, the Lieutenant Governor also interacted with Baba Barfani’s service providers and devotees and greeted all the pilgrims for a safe pilgrimage.
Addressing media persons, the Lieutenant Governor said that more than 20,000 devotees have already performed darshan in the holy cave.
“Pilgrims feel blessed and excited to be a part of this journey of faith and tradition. There is an atmosphere of celebration and enthusiasm in the whole of Jammu and Kashmir for Shri Amarnathji Yatra.
He said that pilgrims arriving earlier compared to the due date would be adjusted, although they advised to wait for the devotees who had prior registrations, they would be given priority.
Ms. Nujat Ishfaq, DDC Chairperson, Gandarbal; Mr. Mian Mehar Ali, members of the Legislative Assembly from Kangan; Mr. Kan Rai, Member, Shri Amarnath ji Shrine Board; Dr. Of Mandeep. Bhandari, Principal Secretary and CEO SASB; Shri Arun Kumar Singh, Chairman and CEO ONGC; Ms. Wartica Shukla, Chairman and Managing Director Engineer India Limited; Shri Vijay Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Mr. Jatin Kishore, Deputy Commissioner, Genderbal, Police, Administration, SASB and senior officials of devotees, were present at the inauguration ceremony in large numbers.
