NAVIN Kumar Choudhary CEO SASB visits Ludhiana

Ludhiana, April 21, 2013: A meeting of  Shri Amarnath  Barfani  Langars Organisations (SABLO)  was held  here on Sunday, for  distribution of  permission  letters issued by Shrine Board to the members of SABLO for setting up langars during  forthcoming Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2013.

The meeting was presided by Vijay Thakur, President of the Association.

Stage was conducted by Rajan Gupta, General Secretary.  

At the outset, Rajan Gupta, General Secretary welcomed the Chief Guest Navin Kumar Choudhary, IAS, Chief Executive Officer of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (CEO-SASB) and the members of Langar Organisations from all over the country. 

All the members gave a standing ovation with thundering applause and slogans of “Bam Bam Bhole”, “Har Har Mahadev”, “Barfani Baba Ki Jai” on the occasion. 

Flower bouquets and mementos were presented to the Chief Guest Navin Kumar Choudhary by Sarvshri Vijay Thakur,  Rajan Gupta, Pawan Saboo, Puran Ahuja (Holy Cave), H K Chugh, Charanjit Shama (Panchtarni), Tirlok Oberoi, Shanker Verma (Sheshnag), Parveen Bindal (Zojibal), Surinder Kumar (PissuTop), Surinder Garg, Raj Kumar Garg (Chandanwar), Sandeep Kapur, Madam Prem Karwal, Dr. Manora Bhardwaj (Nunwan), Mohinder Goyal, Sanjay Arora, Pawan Singla, Surinder Singla  (Baltal), Ajay Kumar Tony, Kapil Kapoor, Ram Lok Choudhary (Domail),  Chander Nagpal (Railpathri) and Amar Goyal (Brari Marg).   

Rajan Gupta  highlighted the activities of the SABLO to the members including the meetings the representatives of SABLO had with Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) N. N. Vohra alongwith CEO on December 22 last year, March 4 this year and April 17 this year at Raj Bhawan, Jammu wherein many suggestions were given by SABLO to simplify the procedure for getting Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC) and registration of “yatris” (pilgrims), improve the infrastructure and facilities for the convenience of yatris like increasing the medical facilities, widening of tracks, creation of one way tracks for smooth movement of yatris, provision of atleast 2,000 more toilets at various camps and en-route, ensuring their regular cleaning by deputing dedicated sweepers, increase in time of darshans at Holy Cave, well organised queue system for darshans at Holy Cave to increase the number of yatris to pay their obeisance at Holy Cave and to improve the facilities for NGOs including availability of sufficient stocks of essential items like Kerosene Oil, Sugar, LPG, wheat flour and rice, power supply to Langars, street lights, widening and strengthening of roads from Rangamorh to Domail  well before the start of yatra.  

Navin Kumar Choudhary IAS, CEO of SASB - Chief Guest in his address, applauded the role of  Bhandara Organisations in successful conduct of  Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2012 and informed the members that the process of registration of Yatris for this year’s Shri Amarnathji Yatra has already been start from March 18 this year through designated Branches of J&K Bank and Yes Bank and also added 101-SBI branches, 100 PNB Branches and 50 HDFC braches, where the yatris can registered themselves.  At present total 422 registration centres in all over the country and he stressed that the registration centres will also be increased in the next year. 

He  further stressed that Bhandara Organisors must adhere to the food menu provided by SASB in the interest of pilgrims and provide only simple, non oily, non greasy, nutritious and digestible food suitable according to the climatic conditions and altitude  instead of fried, heavy, junk, spicy food which created health hazards for yatris. Simple non oily food as per the prescribed menu should be served to yatris if the langar organisations really wanted to serve better to the yatris. All the NGOs assured the CEO by raising their hands to serve simple, nutritious and desired food to yatris from this year onwards.   However, Rajan Gupta, General Secretary on the persistent demands of the members requested the Chief Guest, Naveen K. Choudhary, to get the food menu amended from the special committee and permit the stuffed pranthas and halwa, which is offered as parshad.  Choudhary assured that he will try to get the food menu amended. 

Navin Kumar Choudhary IAS, CEO of SASB - Chief Guest of the day urged all the members of NGOS present  that Langar Organisations should also maintain  hygienic conditions in and around  all Langars, during the entire period of  Yatra, for  protecting the   environment  of  the area, to help in spreading the message to the intending Yatris that they should not undertake the Yatra without  getting themselves properly registered after getting the Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC) to avoid any inconvenience during the Yatra.  He also assured that he will remain available not only to Representatives of SABLO, but also to the organisers of Langars at different camps. Choudhary informed that  of online registration cannot be granted because CHC in original is required for registering the pilgrims, which is not possible if the registration is done online.

Navin Kmar Choudhary, informed that lot of improvement has been made particularly on Kaali Mata Marg and Brari Sangam track.  At holy Cave one way stairs system has been introduced and new stairs of equal width have been constructed one for going to Holy Cave and other for coming back.  He further stated that Medical facilities are being upgraded and increased in a big way.  Replying to the demand of SABLO for increasing the no. of toilets on the twin tracks, Choudhary informed that last year 2,100 toilets were installed and this year 1,500 more toilets added, which will make in total no. of toilets 3,600 this year.  Sewage Treatment Plants (STP), which have been operating in the open in the past are being upgraded and set up underground.  CEO requested all the bhandaras organisations to send the list of sewadars for preparation of identity cards immediately and ensure that the lists are sent to SASB atleast one month before the commencement of yatra to avoid inconvenience and heavy rush. 

CEO further advised that Bhandara organisers should not bring their sewadars on vehicles carrying langar material, as this will result that traffic police will issue their challans and he expressed his inability to help in this regard.

Langar Permission letters were  distributed by Navin Kumar Choudhary to 107 Langar Organisations for setting up Langars during   Amarnathji  Yatra  2013.

Vijay Thakur, President of SABLO requested the CEO to hold a joint meeting of officers deputed to manage the yatra and the camp heads of langar organisations for a better co-ordination between the officials and volunteers of NGOs for the smooth conduct of yatra. The CEO assured that a meeting will be arranged before the start of the yatra.

Vote of  thanks  was  given by Vijay Thakur.  

Thakur thanked N. N. Vohra Chairman, Choudhary CEO,  Preet Pal Singh, Additional CEO, Shrine Board  for  accepting  the  suggestions of  SABLO from time to time and also assured full support and cooperation on behalf  of the  Langar Organisations for smooth conduct of Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2013. He also extended deep gratitude to the hosts of this meeting Bhole Bhandari Charitable Trust, Jai Baba Balak Nath Amarnath Samiti, Om Shiv Shankar Sewa Mandal, Panchtarni Amar Shakti Samiti and Shree Mangla Gauri Amarnath Samiti all from Ludhiana for organising this meeting very well.

Pawan Saboo, Puran Ahuja from Holy Cave, H K Chugh, Charanjeet Sharma (Babaji) from Panjtarni, Parveen Bindal from Zojibal, Tirlok Oberoi, Surinder Kumar from Sheshnag, Surinder Kumar from Pissu Top, Surinder Garg from Chandanwari, Sandeep Kapoor, madam Prem Karwal from Nunwan, Amar Goyal from Brarimarg, Surinder Singla, Mohinder Goyal, Ram Lok Choudhary, Kapil Kapoor, Sanjay Arora, Pawan Singla, Bharat Bhushan 'Rinku' Ram Lubhaya were the prominent among the other 350 members present from more than 100 Bhandara Organisations.