Kashmir Impulse Desk

New Delhi, June 11

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, with a focus on preparations for the annual Amarnath Yatra scheduled to begin next month, officials said.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, senior civil administration officials, police officers and representatives of security agencies are expected to attend the meeting in New Delhi, according to sources familiar with the preparations.

The review comes weeks before the pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine, which begins on July 3 and concludes on August 28, and is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of devotees.

Officials said discussions are likely to focus on deployment of security personnel, intelligence coordination, surveillance systems and contingency plans aimed at ensuring the safe conduct of the pilgrimage.

Shah is expected to assess the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and review measures taken to safeguard pilgrims travelling along the traditional Pahalgam route and the shorter Baltal route, sources said.

The meeting follows a separate review chaired by Sinha in Srinagar on Wednesday, during which he directed departments to complete arrangements related to infrastructure, healthcare, sanitation, connectivity and other services for pilgrims.

“Our collective goal is to ensure a safe, seamless and spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage for every devotee,” Sinha said after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (Security) Sujit Kumar on Thursday inspected key transit camps along the Pahalgam route to review security and logistical arrangements ahead of the pilgrimage.

Kumar visited transit facilities at Qazigund and Mirbazar in south Kashmir, where officials briefed him on the multi-layered security grid and the deployment of screening and surveillance equipment, including explosive detectors, X-ray scanners, jammers, metal detectors and CCTV systems.

He also reviewed medical, sanitation, communication and emergency response arrangements and stressed the need for close coordination among the police, paramilitary forces, army and civil administration.

“Robust security measures, prompt response capabilities and close inter-agency coordination are vital for the smooth conduct of the Yatra,” Kumar told officers during the inspection.

Authorities have intensified preparations for the annual pilgrimage, with plans including a three-tier security cover, drone surveillance, mock drills and upgraded facilities at base camps and transit points.

The Amarnath Yatra is one of India’s largest religious pilgrimages and requires extensive security arrangements across multiple districts of Jammu and Kashmir each year.