Srinagar, Jun 28 : As an outreach ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday evening chaired a crucial meeting with members of the civil society at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) here.
The meeting, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), commenced at 5:35 PM at the Winter Hall of SKICC and concluded at 7:00 PM.
It was attended by representatives from trade, transport, tourism, and religious sectors. Around 80 civil society members were present.
Prominent attendees included Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Principal Secretary to LG Mandeep K. Bhandari, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Special DGP SJM Geelani, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir V.K. Bidhuri, Commissioner Secretary Tourism Yasha Mudgal, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi, SSP Srinagar Dr. GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, and J&K Waqf Board Chairperson Dr. Darakshan Andrabi, Imam Dargah Hazratbal Srinagar Maulana Riyaz-ul-Haq, among other senior officials.
As per KNO the meeting focused on final preparations for the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage and served as a platform to gather inputs from ground-level stakeholders.
After initial addresses, CM Omar Abdullah interacted with participants, followed by LG Manoj Sinha’s address highlighting the administration’s efforts and cooperation with the public for the Yatra’s success.
Later, LG Sinha interacted with participants including traders, transporters, hoteliers, and religious leaders.
Speaking to KNO after the meeting, Chairman of the Houseboat Owners Association, Manzoor Pakhtoon, said they were called here by LG Manoj Sinha regarding the upcoming Amarnath Yatra. “We discussed cut-off timings, arrangements, and logistics. Kashmiri’s have always welcomed the Yatra with open arms, and we will continue to do so this year too,” he said.
A transporter present at the meeting said they raised issues related to route clearances and vehicle timings.
Meanwhile, a trader representative stated the meeting helped understand the government’s expectations and gave them a chance to share their own concerns about traffic management and market regulations during the Yatra.
Pertinently, this high-level interaction is part of a series of meetings aimed at ensuring coordination between the administration and the public for the successful and peaceful conduct of the pilgrimage—(KNO)
