Home Dehradun Char Dham Hotel Association opposes daily limit on pilgrims

Char Dham Hotel Association opposes daily limit on pilgrims

749
0
SHARE

By Our Staff Reporter

Uttarkashi, 28 Apr: The Char Dham Hotel Association has strongly protested against the state government’s decision to limit the number of pilgrims per day for the Char Dham Yatra. While addressing a press conference here, today, President of the Char Dham Hotel Association, Ajay Puri said that, like last year, this time also the government has decided to limit the number of pilgrims visiting the Char Dham, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath every day. Opposing the restriction imposed by the government, Puri claimed that there is disappointment among the traders, restaurant owners, hoteliers and other traders associated with tourism because of this restriction.

Puri claimed that, on the one hand, the government is encouraging entrepreneurship in the hills and helping people set up new hotels, resorts and homestays and, on the other, it is also restricting the number of pilgrims to be allowed to visit the Char Dham shrines. This will lead to less occupancy in the hotels and homestays and will result in losses.

Puri claimed that the government has not prepared well enough for the Yatra and, therefore, it is imposing such restrictions to hide its shortcomings. Uttarkashi Hotel Association President Shailendra Matuda said that the state’s economy is hugely dependent on tourism and pilgrimage, but due to this order, which has put a daily limit on number of pilgrims allowed in each of the Char Dhams, there is anger among the business folks related to tourism. Matuda warned that, in case the government does not withdraw its decision to impose the restriction, the hoteliers and homestay owners will be forced to take this fight to the streets and even to the courts. He also threatened that the hotels would go on strike soon if the decision is not withdrawn.

It may be recalled that, this year, the government has again limited the number of daily darshans by the pilgrims at Char Dham shrines. The maximum numbers of pilgrims permitted per day in Yamunotri has been fixed at 9,000, in Gangotri at 11,000, in Kedarnath at 18,000 and in Badrinath at 20,000.