New Delhi: Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Friday reviewed the security preparedness for the Amarnath Yatra scheduled to begin on June 30 after a gap of two years, officials said.
The annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine located in the upper reaches of south Kashmir could not be carried out in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, while it was cut short in 2019 just before the abrogation of Article 370.
The home secretary reviewed the security preparedness for the Amarnath Yatra with top officials of paramilitary forces and the Jammu and Kashmir administration, the officials said.
About 10,000 paramilitary personnel (100 companies) in addition to Jammu and Kashmir Police are expected to be deployed along the two pilgrimage routes via Pahalgam and Baltal, they said.
About three lakh pilgrims are likely to take part in the yatra, which is expected to end on August 11.
CRPF Director General and BSF DG Pankaj Singh, along with other officers, attended the meeting physically, while Jammu and Kashmir officials attended it through video conference.
The Amarnath pilgrimage will be a big security challenge for the government as Jammu and Kashmir has been witnessing a number of targeted killings in recent weeks. PTI

Press Trust of India