First batch of Amarnath yatris reach Baltal base camp

Earlier, state government sources said that all officials who are part of the unified headquarters will be present during the meeting.

The Union Minister is expected to be briefed about various steps being taken by the security agencies to tackle the militancy as well as infiltration from across the border, official sources said.

Bilkulonline.com, New Delhi, July 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reviewed the internal security situation in the country and took stock of the steps being taken on how to improve the situation, especially in northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir.

Terror attacks particularly on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway has prompted the security forces to beef up the security on the yatra route to ensure peaceful and incident free pilgrimage this year.

An official spokesman said that Rajnath Singh expressed satisfaction over the performance of the state government “as well as the security forces and complimented them for excellent ground coordination and synergy”.

Dr. Singh said that adequate security mechanism has been put in place to ensure the safety of the visiting pilgrims and the tourists in the state.

The pilgrims will be flagged off from Baltal and Pahlagam base camps on Saturday morning for their onward journey to the holy cave shrine in the Himalayas.

A three-member team of the Union Home Ministry was camped in Srinagar for three days this week to submit a report to the minister on the Pampore shootout in which eight CRPF troopers were killed and 22 others injured. The minister assured of positive outcomes on issues of opening of more LoC routes for trade and business, giving permission to foreigners to visit Ladakh including Nubra valley, quick resolution of land related issues, increasing ex gratia payment to families of slain J&K police personnel at par with the central forces and restarting the police modernization.

The State Government expressed its confidence of maintaining security in the state, including during the ongoing Shri Amarnath Yatra.

As many as 12,500 central paramilitary personnel and 8,000 state policemen will be deployed along the two routes – one from South Kashmir’s Pahalgam and the other through Northeast Sonamarg.