Amarnath Yatra 2026: SABLO Raises Serious Concerns Over Langar Permission Process

Amarnath Yatra 2026: SABLO Raises Serious Concerns Over Langar Permission Process

Ludhiana, April 18: Shri Amarnath Barfani Langars Organisation (SABLO) has expressed grave concern and strong objection to the changes introduced in the procedure of inviting applications and the process for granting permissions to Langar organisations for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra 2026.

According to SABLO, the decades-old transparent Inviting Offer, EOI-based system has been discontinued without any justification, making the entire selection process opaque and questionable.

SABLO issued Reminder No. 1 in continuation of detailed representation dated 20.03.2026 to Shrine Board, wherein serious concerns were raised regarding lack of transparency, non-disclosure of selection criteria, and discontinuation of the long-established procedure for grant of permission to Langar Organisations for Shri Amarnathji Yatra, 2026.

It is a matter of grave concern that no response whatsoever has been received till date from Shrine Board.

Rajan Gupta & H.K. Chugh stated that, although more than three weeks have elapsed since the last date for submission of applications, i.e. 25.03.2026, nothing has been heard regarding scrutiny of applications, declaration of selection criteria, or issuance of permission letters. Instead, a highly disturbing and serious development has come to our notice.

New Development of Grave Concern

“We have been reliably informed that an individual, allegedly acting as a close confidant, favoured intermediary, unofficial conduit, agent, or mouthpiece of certain officials of SASB, is obtaining signatures from NGOs on an Undertaking (copy enclosed) by creating fear, pressure, coercion, and undue influence, while conveying that:

non-signing of the said Undertaking would lead to denial of permission, and

execution of such Undertaking is mandatory for obtaining permission letters.

If this information is correct, the same raises extremely serious issues touching upon the fairness, legality, transparency, and institutional integrity of the entire permission process,” the SAPLO said.

Serious Issues Arising

1. Pressure, coercion, fear, and undue influence are allegedly being exercised upon NGOs and charitable organisations.

2. There is a complete absence of transparency, official disclosure, and lawful authority behind such an exercise.

3. The manner in which such signatures are allegedly being procured gives rise to a disturbing impression that a parallel, proxy, or extra-legal SASB mechanism is operating outside the official institutional framework, thereby reducing the statutory body to a mere formality and creating an impression that official authority is being exercised through private channels.

4. The language, tenor, and contents of the said Undertaking appear to be illegal, arbitrary, one-sided, oppressive, draconian, unconscionable, unreasonable, high-handed, extra-legal, and contrary to the principles of fairness, equity, transparency, legitimate expectation, and natural justice.

5. The said Undertaking appears designed to compel surrender of accrued rights, silence legitimate concerns, and create an atmosphere of fear and submission, which is wholly impermissible in law.

6. Such an exercise is allegedly being undertaken even prior to the issuance of permission letters, which makes the process all the more questionable, suspicious, and legally untenable.

7. The entire episode creates serious apprehension that private persons are being allowed to interfere with, influence, or control an official statutory process, which, if true, is wholly improper and unacceptable.

Clarifications Sought

1. SABLO representatives, including Shri Pankaj Soni, Shri Vijay Mehra, and Shri Faqir Chand Verma, have sought urgent clarification on the following:

2. Whether the attached Undertaking has been officially approved, prescribed, authorized, or mandated by SASB?

3. Whether any individual has been formally or informally authorized, deputed, permitted, or allowed by SASB or any of its officials to obtain such signatures on Undertakings from applicant NGOs?

4. Whether signing of such Undertaking is a mandatory pre-condition for grant of permission for Shri Amarnathji Yatra, 2026?

5. If the answer to the above is in the affirmative, then:

• why has the same not been placed in the public domain,
• why has no official circular/notice been issued by SASB,
• why has the same not been communicated directly to all applicants, and
• why are signatures being procured through an alleged private intermediary rather than through the official office of SASB?

6. Whether SASB has any record of:

• the number of such Undertakings already collected,
• the names of the organisations from whom they have been obtained,
• the authority under which they have been collected, and
• the purpose for which they are proposed to be used?

7. Whether such Undertakings, if obtained without official disclosure, transparency, or free consent, are proposed to be relied upon for present or future eligibility, selection, blacklisting, exclusion, adverse consideration, or any other collateral purpose?

8. Whether SASB proposes to issue a public clarification so that all NGOs may know the correct legal and factual position and are not subjected to misinformation, intimidation, or coercive tactics?

Prayer

In view of the above, we most respectfully pray as under:

1. Immediate Clarification

That a clear, categorical, and written clarification be issued at the earliest regarding the legality, authority, and status of the said Undertaking.

2. In case the said Undertaking is not authorized by SASB
   That strict, immediate, and exemplary actionbe taken against the concerned individual(s) who are reportedly procuring such Undertakings by creating fear and misrepresenting the same as mandatory for grant of permission.

This assumes greater seriousness in view of reliable information that several such Undertakings have already been obtained in a meeting held at Ludhiana on Sunday, 12.04.2026, and further collection of such Undertakings is proposed in an upcoming meeting at Delhi.

3. In case any such person has been authorized, deputed, or allowed by SASB
   That such person be immediately recalled, withdrawn, and restrainedfrom further acting in the matter.

That all Undertakings so collected be called back, returned forthwith, and treated as non-est in the eyes of law, having been obtained either under coercion, undue influence, misinformation, or without full and informed consent.

That it be specifically declared and ensured that such Undertakings shall not be acted upon, relied upon, enforced, or used directly or indirectly to prejudice, defeat, dilute, waive, compromise, or adversely affect the rights, claims, eligibility, participation, or fair consideration of any NGO, either in the present Yatra or in future.

This situation is extremely disturbing and has created an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, and mistrust among NGOs which have been rendering selfless and charitable services to pilgrims for decades, the statement added.