Amarnath yatra: L-G launches online portal for helicopter services

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor and Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) chairperson Manoj Sinha launched an online helicopter booking portal for the Amarnath yatra, which is scheduled to start from June 30

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor and Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) chairperson Manoj Sinha launched an online helicopter booking portal for the Amarnath yatra, which is scheduled to start from June 30.

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor and Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) chairperson Manoj Sinha launched an online helicopter booking portal for the Amarnath yatra, which is scheduled to start from June 30.) (ANI)

Sinha took to Twitter to announce the launch of the service: “Launched online helicopter booking service portal for Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. For the first time, devotees can travel with ease directly from Srinagar to Panchtarni and complete the holy yatra in a single day,” he tweeted.

Sinha said it was a long pending endeavour of the government to introduce the chopper services for pilgrims from Srinagar. “Devotees can log on to the Shrine Board’s website (http://www.shriamarnathjishrine.com) to book a chopper,” he said.

A day earlier, Jammu zone additional director general of police Mukesh Singh had taken a tour of the yatra route with senior officers of the administration, police, traffic police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He also went over the security arrangements at the range headquarters in Batote town of Ramban.

The team also visited Nashri, Chanderkote and Banihal and took stock of preparations made for devotees’ food and lodging.

VHP confident of peaceful yatra

Vishva Hindu Parishad central working president Alok Kumar on Thursday expressed confidence that the Amarnath yatra in Jammu and Kashmir will be “incident-free” given the measures taken by the government.

“The government has taken new measures and I am sure that the lives of the innocents will be safeguarded,” he said, on the sidelines of a sit-in protest against the June 10 violence in some parts of the country at Sunderbani in Rajouri district. Teh Jammu-Rajouri national highway at Sunderbani was blocked for nearly two hours as part of the protest.