Amarnath Yatra services providers, ponies to get insurance cover

All service providers for this year's Amarnath Yatra would be provided accident insurance cover by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) that manages the Himalayan cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, a statement said Friday.

"As per decision taken in the review meeting chaired by Governor N.N. Vohra, who is the chairman of SASB, arrangements have been finalized to provide accidental insurance cover for the various categories of service providers including dandiwallas, pithoos (porters) and ponywallahs and their ponies for Shri Amarnathji Yatra, 2014," said the statement issued here by SASB.

SASB CEO Navin K. Chaudhary has done this task in collaboration with the state government's animal husbandry and labour departments, it added.

Giving further details, Chaudhury said that all service providers who are registered with the state labour department prior to the commencement of the yatra would be provided accidental insurance cover of Rs.1 lakh.

"This will be applicable for the entire Yatra duration after they get registered and move into the Yatra areas. To be covered by this benefit, all categories of local service providers shall need to register with the state labour department.

"Similarly, all ponies whose owners get them registered with the state animal husbandry department prior to the commencement of the Yatra shall be covered with an insurance of Rs. 30,000 per pony," he said.

The statement said claims regarding the deaths of 88 ponies during the pilgrimage last year were got settled by the CEO within one month of its conclusion of Yatra and compensation of Rs. 26,35,000 was paid to the owners of the ponies killed in accidents.

The SASB has already announced that all the registered people for this year's pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine would be provided an accident insurance cover of Rs.1 lakh.