Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said all arrangements will be made to ensure safe and smooth conduct of the upcoming Kheer Bhawani Mela and Amarnath Yatra.
Omar visited Ganderbal, a constituency that he represents in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, and paid his respects at the Kheer Bhawani temple in the central Kashmir district.
“We have started our preparations for the yatra. As far as security is concerned, all arrangements will be put in place. It will be our endeavour to have a successful Kheer Bhawani Mela first, and then an Amarnath Yatra via both routes of Sonamarg and Pahalgam. We want all yatries to return safely,” the CM told reporters.
Mela Kheer Bhawani, an important religious event for Kashmiri Pandits, is likely to be celebrated in the first week of June. Kashmiri Pandits from all parts of the country assemble at the temple of Ragnya Devi.
The annual Amarnath Yatra will begin on July 3.
On effects of the Pahalgam attack on tourism, Omar said the government will wait for the situation to stabilise before working on the revival of the tourism sector.
 “It has been hit, but as of now, we are not doing anything about it. Let the situation stabilise first, then we will sit with the stakeholders and take steps to revive tourism under a programme. The good thing is that the tour operators outside J&K also want it to revive. Some groups have started coming. But let the yatra pass off peacefully, then we will focus on tourism,” he said.