Owing to the safety concerns of pilgrims due to the ongoing Covvid – !9 pandemic, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) decided to cancel the annual Amarnath Yatra this year.
The decision was taken on Tuesday in a virtual meeting of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Borad chaired by J&K Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu. It was the 39th board meeting of the shrine.
“The pandemic has put the health administration system to its limit. The spike has been particularly very sharp in July. Health workers and security forces are also getting infected and the focus of the entire medical, civil and police administration at the moment is on containing the local transmission of the COVID – 19 pandemic. The Board decided with heavy heart that it is not advisable to hold and conduct this year’s Amarnath Yatra”, a SASB spokesman said in a report.
The Supreme Court had rejected a plea last week, seeking intervention to restrain public participation in the Amarnath Yatra. The SC said that it will not interfere and the issue would have to be dealt solely by the local administration.
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(Feature image source: TOI)
