180 paramilitary companies to guard Amarnath pilgrims

With barely five days left for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, two top officials of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday said all arrangements have been made for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the 38-day long pilgrimage to south Kashmir Himalayas.

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

JAMMU: Over 180 companies of various paramilitary forces will be deployed to guard the pilgrims, police said.

Addressing mediapersons here, Jammu divisional commissioner Ramesh Kumar said lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha would flag off the first batch from Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwati Nagar on July 2. "We have made elaborate arrangements for the comfortable and secured stay of pilgrims in various government lodgement centres and community halls of various social and religious organisations," said Kumar.