Srinagar: In the aftermath of Baisaran, Pahalgam massacre by terrorists, the focus has shifted to safe conduct of Annual Amarnath Yatra and as per reports, the Centre has ordered deployment of a total 581 companies, comprising about 42,000 on-ground personnel, of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the smooth conduct of this pilgrimage.
While 424 companies are being sent to the Union Territory (UT), the rest, including about 80 companies that moved to the UT during Operation Sindoor, will be “relocated” to secure the yatra route, the pilgrims and other areas, including Srinagar, official sources said.
The Union home ministry, officials said, has directed that these forces move “immediately” and take position in Jammu and Kashmir by the second week of June.
The Amarnath Yatra will begin on July 3 and end on August 9. The security deployment plan for the pilgrimage is being prepared keeping in mind the challenges emerging from the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 persons, mostly tourists, were killed, they said.
“The Union home ministry has decided to deploy a total of 581 CAPF companies for the Amarnath Yatra this time. This includes about 150-160 units already present in the UT,” a senior officer said.
The companies are drawn from five CAPFs of CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP and SSB. Each of these companies have an operational strength of about 70-75 personnel, he said.
The maximum units out of the 581 are drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force (219 companies), Border Security Force (9143), Sashastra Seema Bal (97), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (62) and Central Industrial Security Force (60), the officer said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also review the security arrangements during his visit to Jammu on Thursday.
CRPF Director General (DG) Gyanendra Pratap Singh had reviewed the preparations for the Amarnath Yatra over the week when he was in Kashmir.
BSF DG Daljit Singh Chawdhary too is expected to hold a review of border security and the yatra in Srinagar.
The 38-day yatra leads to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave housing a naturally formed ice-shivling.
The yatra is conducted via two routes — the traditional 48-km route from Pahalgam in the Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal district. The pilgrims can choose any of these routes. (With PTI Inputs)
