A high-level delegation from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), led by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir on June 20 and 21 to review security and logistical arrangements for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, which is set to commence on July 3.
According to official sources, the delegation will include chiefs of major paramilitary forces such as the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, senior officers of the Intelligence Bureau, and other top officials from the Home Ministry.
The delegation will hold separate review meetings in Jammu and Kashmir divisions, with the Jammu meeting scheduled for June 20 and the Kashmir review on June 21. Senior officials from the civil administration, Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces, intelligence agencies, and divisional authorities will participate in the discussions.
The visit follows a high-level review meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on June 12. The meeting was attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, and heads of various security and intelligence agencies.
The annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra will begin on July 3 and conclude on August 28, coinciding with the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Shravan Purnima. Authorities are expecting a significant increase in pilgrim turnout this year, driven by strong registration numbers and a surge in tourist arrivals across Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said nearly 90 percent of the security deployment has already been completed, with the remaining personnel expected to be positioned before June 20. The MHA has approved the deployment of 670 companies of paramilitary forces for the pilgrimage, with the majority stationed across the Kashmir Valley.
Security arrangements will span the entire pilgrimage route, beginning from Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir. Additional protection will be provided along the Pathankot-Jammu and Jammu-Srinagar National Highways, railway stations, airports, bus terminals, and accommodation facilities, including Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas, from where pilgrim convoys depart daily under security escort.
In Kashmir, extensive security measures are being put in place at the twin base camps of Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam), along both pilgrimage routes, and at the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the South Kashmir Himalayas.
Besides security, the MHA delegation will also assess arrangements related to accommodation, transportation, healthcare, sanitation, communication systems, emergency response mechanisms, and langar facilities for pilgrims.
Sources said the review meetings will focus on strengthening intelligence coordination among agencies, surveillance along the Yatra routes, counter-terrorism preparedness, convoy protection, and contingency planning to address any potential security challenges.
Authorities have also intensified overall security across Jammu and Kashmir to ensure a peaceful and incident-free conduct of the annual pilgrimage
