With the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine in South Kashmir set to begin on July 3, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the chief secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir government and the director general of police to deploy 581 companies of paramilitary forces to ensure adequate security for a smooth yatra.
The upcoming Amarnath Yatra is the first big pilgrimage in the region after the terror attack at the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed on April 22, and it has now become a focal point for the Central security agencies and for the government. The Amarnath temple in and Kashmir is one of the holiest shrines for Hindus, dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of a linga in a cave on the Amarnath mountain, at an altitude of 3,888 metres.
Last week, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor chaired the unified headquarters meeting at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar to review security for the Amarnath Yatra.
The MHA, in a communication issued on May 23, conveyed to the chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir government, principal secretary of the home department (J-K) and the DGP (J-K Police) that they are allowed to utilise 156 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF): 91 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 30 companies of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), 15 companies of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 13 companies of Border Security Force (BSF), and seven companies of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
“They are already available in J&K on a short term basis for security arrangements during Shri Amarnath ji Yatra-2025,” the MHA said in their communication. A single CAPF company has an operational strength of about 75-80 personnel.
The MHA has further conveyed that an additional 425 CAPF companies (130 of the BSF; 128, including five mahila companies of the CRPF; 67 of the SSB; 55 of the ITBP; and 45 of the CISF), will be available for the J-K government by June 10 for the security arrangements.
“All the 581 companies of CAPFs will remain deployed till completion of Shri Amarnath ji Yatra-2025 and after the completion of Yatra, these 581 companies of CAPFs will be de-inducted immediately,” the MHA said, adding that it has also directed to work out the detailed deployment plan, in consultation with the concerned CAPFs.
An officer in the J-K Police said they would utilise these companies for the security of the cave shrine, routes, area domination, yatra escorts and other security duties connected with the Amarnath Yatra. According to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine board, the pilgrimage will be held from July 3 to August 9 this year, and devotees can register online.
Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat.
During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives.
