The government today said, it will extend all possible cooperation to the Jammu and Kashmir government in making the arrangements for the pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra. Replying to a discussion on a Calling attention notice on the issue, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that Centre will also suggest to widen the roads for comfortable and smooth journey of the pilgrims. He said around 6 lakh people visit Amarnath every year and the number is increasing every year. The Minister said government is providing medical facilities to the people going for pilgrimage.
Giving a detailed account of medical facilities, the Minister said, 83 doctors have been deployed in the camps especially made for pilgrims. Mr Shinde said, for the first time, transit camps were established for overnight stay of pilgrims at Walnut Factory, Qazigund, Mir Bazar, Anantnag District, Manigam and Yangoora, Ganderbal district. He said emergency shelters were set up in 19 locations in the yatra area, 13 on the Pahalgam route and 6 on Baltal route. He said 93 people were killed during the yatra this year as against 106 in 2011. The Minister said, a Special High Powered Committee which was set up on the directives of the Supreme Court to go into the arrangements of the yatra, is expected to submit its report by the first week of next month.
Earlier, initiating a discussion, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Arun Jaitley expressed grave concern over the inadequate facilities and safety measures for pilgrims during the Amarnath Yatra. He demanded that permanent arrangements must be made for providing medical and other facilities for the pilgrims during the yatra. He also demanded that the period of yatra should be increased as the number of pilgrims visiting the shrine is also going up every year.