As the annual Amarnath yatra is picking up momentum in spite of the Valley being caught in turmoil, a helicopter service for pilgrims was launched on Thursday on both Baltal-Panjtarni-Baltal and Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam routes.
Jammu and Kashmir’s minister for forests Mian Altaf Ahmad flagged-off the helicopter services from Baltal to Panjtarni, while the minister for tourism Nawang Rigzin Jora launched the services from Pahalgam to Panjtarni in the presence of the governor.
The one way helifare for Baltal-Panjtarni and Pahalgam-Panjtarni has been fixed at Rs 2,425 and Rs 3800, respectively.
Children in the 2-12 year age group will be required to pay half the aforesaid prices.
The helicopter fares this year are substantially lower than those in yatra 2009, said a spokesperson of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).
The first batch of 4,471 pilgrims left for darshan from traditional route of Pahalgam and another 7,000 took the shorter Baltal route on Thursday.
The second batch of 2,500 pilgrims set out on the yatra from Jammu on Thursday morning reached Pahalgam and Baltal in the evening. There are two routes for the yatra. The one from Srinagar has not seen any trouble but Anantnag which saw widespread protests and arson on Tuesday in the aftermath of the killing of three local youth in the CRPF firing continues to be tense despite indefinite curfew being in force in the town and neighbouring areas.
The Pahalgam-bound convoys of pilgrims have to pass through Anantnag; hence hundreds of the CRPF and BSF personnel besides local police and columns of the Army have been deployed particularly to secure the road between Qazigund, the gateway to the Kashmir Valley from the south, and Pahalgam.
“So far, there have been no problems on either route,” said the SASB officials.
This year’s yatra to the 12,729 ft high cave-temple formally commenced on Thursday with Jammu and Kashmir governor N.N. Vohra, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, joining the first batch of the devotees.