By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 28 Jul: The Uttarakhand government has appointed BD Singh, former Administrator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) and a retired senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) cadre officer, as the Chief Advisor to the CM for Char Dham Yatra and BKTC matters. An official notification to this effect has been issued by the government.
The notification states that BD Singh has been appointed as the Chief Advisor (honorary position without salary) to the CM Dhami on a co-terminus basis, considering his prior experience. This appointment will be effective from the date he assumes charge and will remain in force until the CM’s discretion or the end of the Chief Minister’s tenure, whichever comes first, unless the appointment is terminated earlier.
The notification further mentions that the BKTC will provide BD Singh with the necessary facilities for carrying out his duties.
The Teerth Purohit community of Badrinath Dham and Kedarnath Dham, along with the Temple Committee Employees Union, have welcomed BD Singh’s appointment. The Union’s President, Vijendra Bisht, Secretary Bhupendra Rawat, Vice-Presidents Ravindra Bhatt and Pareshwar Trivedi, along with all other office bearers, expressed their support for the decision.
Sources claim that the government is inclined to make sure that the management of the Temple Committee does not attract avoidable controversies and the appointment has been made with this objective. It may be reminded here that the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee has often found itself in the public eye due to its decisions and administrative functioning. Even during the previous tenure, when the committee was chaired by Ajendra Ajay, some issues had become viral, drawing criticism from various quarters. However, nothing concrete was found against Ajay throughout his tenure.
Lately, the current Chairman of BKTC had flown to Kedarnath Temple despite existing restrictions on chopper flights to Kedarnath in view of the current inclement weather. It may be recalled that BD Singh had previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the committee for an extended period. During his tenure, he simultaneously served in the Indian Forest Service, adding to his administrative credentials.
