CM takes stock of Yatra arrangements at Barkot
By Our Staff Reporter
Barkot/Uttarakashi, 17 May: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Yamunotri region, today, and took stock of the Yatra arrangements. He met the pilgrims and local people and sought their feedback about the Chardham Yatra. The government claimed that the pilgrims from different parts of the country were extremely happy to find the Chief Minister among them and appreciated the efforts to make the Yatra smooth and safe.
The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made for conducting the Yamunotri and Gangotri Dham Yatra and said that due to the record crowd in the Dhams in the initial days of the Yatra, special measures have been taken to ensure the safety, convenience and other arrangements of the pilgrims. Earlier, the CM had also reached Barkot before visiting Yamunotri region.
The CM said that special attention is being paid towards controlled and organised conduct of the Yatra. In view of this, it has been decided not to allow travel without registration. The Chief Minister said that the government is always ready to welcome all the devotees, but due to the dignity and geographical peculiarities of the Dhams, it has become necessary to regulate the Yatra immediately. He directed the officials that no permission should be given to travel without prior registration and outside the registered schedule, but a way should be found to provide boarding and lodging facilities to those who have advanced far on the Yatra route to visit the Dhams. During his visit, the Chief Minister also conducted aerial inspection of Kharsali and Jankichatti areas including Yamunotri Dham.
Dhami also visited the passenger registration and checking centres and halting point at Dobata near Barkot on Yamunotri route and sought feedback in respect of the arrangements. He also met the groups of pilgrims and discussed about the journey. The Chief Minister informed the passengers about the arrangements for registration and controlled movement of vehicles.
The CM agreed that it may not be proper to send the devotees back midway and he directed Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey to find a solution in this regard but, at the same time, he made it clear that no one from Rishikesh or Haridwar is allowed to enter the Yatra without registration.
Dhami inspected the Yamunotri road via Kharadi till Paligad. In Paligad, he met the pilgrims and heard about their experiences regarding the journey. The Chief Minister also went inside the passenger vehicles stopped for some time at the holding point here and met the pilgrims. Pilgrims also took selfies with the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister, while meeting Dhaba operators and local people in Paligad, urged them to cooperate in travel arrangements and provide better services to the passengers at reasonable prices.
While holding a meeting of officials regarding the yatra arrangements in Barkot, the Chief Minister said that Chardham Yatra is not only a symbol of pride for the state but also a major source of its economy. Therefore, it is necessary to work rapidly on the plans for development and expansion of travel facilities and other infrastructure including roads. He said that the journey should be managed properly keeping the safety, convenience and management of facilities for the pilgrims at the forefront. The Chief Minister said that the initial period regarding the travel arrangements has always been very challenging, hence all the personnel deployed in this work should remain engaged with commitment in keeping the travel smooth, safe and well organised.
On this occasion, Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, District Magistrate Dr Meharban Singh Bisht and Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi shared information about the arrangements. In view of the pressure of vehicles on the Yatra route, practical changes are being made keeping in mind the convenience of the passengers. They also claimed that the problems faced in the initial days in traffic have now been resolved and the yatra to Yamunotri and Gangotri Dham is being conducted smoothly and systematically.
Yatra Magistrate Abhishek Tripathi, Additional District Magistrate Mukesh Chand Ramola, Nawazish Khaliq and other officers associated with the travel arrangements and former MLA Kedar Singh Rawat, former District Panchayat President Jashoda Rana, former Municipal President Atol Rawat, Shyam Dobhal and local people of Badkot area were present.
