Paramilitary Forces to be Deployed at Vaishnodevi for Chaitra Navratri

Katra: During the coming Chaitra Navratri, the Vaishnodevi hill shrine will be under the vigil of tight security comprising of QRTs (quick response teams) and a multi-tier security grid comprising police, CRPF, and other paramilitary forces.

Lakhs of pilgrims from different parts of India and abroad will visit Vaishnodevi during the auspicious days of Chaitra Navratri. On Thursday Anshul Garg, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), presided over a joint meeting with security agencies to review security and operational preparedness, at Katra.

There will be round-the-clock surveillance through a dedicated CCTV network of over 700 cameras. Garg exhorted that security personnel deployed at all entry points should remain more vigilant so that no person without an RFID card enters the track for their pilgrimage.

In the meeting, DIG, CRPF highlighted major challenges for the deployed security forces during Navratri. He briefed that additional forces as per request shall be deployed in and around Katra in coordination with Jammu & Kashmir Police to ensure fool-proof security and effective Yatra management.