Overview
- In April 2026, authorities began issuing scannable ID codes to pony operators, taxi drivers, vendors, photographers, and shopkeepers in Pahalgam.
- The rollout has produced about 7,000 IDs toward a goal of roughly 25,000, with strict checks at 17 to 18 high-traffic points around the resort.
- Each code opens a profile with name, address, phone, Aadhaar, registration number, area of operation, and police verification status that tourists can view on a phone.
- Applicants file forms for police background checks and can be refused for even minor FIRs, with codes generated through local Khidmat service centres.
- Local operators say the system blocks unauthorised outsiders and reassures visitors, though some urge reopening sites like Baisaran that stayed closed after the attack by Lashkar-e-Taiba gunmen.