By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun 19 Oct: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Badrinath this morning to take stock of preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Badrinath and Kedarnath. Earlier this month, Dhami had also visited Kedarnath to take stock of the situation there. As per the finalised programme received by the state government from the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi will visit Kedarnath and Badrinath on 21 October. Modi is scheduled to visit Kedarnath first and Badrinath, later, and will spend a night there.
As has been happening every year for the past eight years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will celebrate Diwali with the soldiers. Before that, he will visit Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dhami reached Badrinath this morning and offered prayers at the temple after having darshan of the Deity. The CM prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the state. After the prayers he also conducted onsite inspection of the various development works underway at Badrinath under the Master Plan that has been approved for redevelopment of Badrinath by the Prime Minister’s Office. During the inspection, the CM gave necessary directions to the officers concerned to expedite the work as well as to ensure no compromise with the quality. On this occasion, District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana, CDO Dr Lalit Narayan Mishra, Additional District Magistrate Dr Abhishek Tripathi, SDM Kumkum Joshi and senior officers of the executive agencies were also present.
The CM noted that the work on the master plan of the Dham is going on in full swing and that target set to complete it is by December 2023. On 21 October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend the night in Badrinath. The government has received the programme regarding the arrival and stay of Modi from the Prime Minister’s Office. Accordingly, the government has also intensified the preparations. Tents and pandals have been put up at Badrinath and in Mana where he will go after praying at Badrinath. He is expected to interact with the armed forces and para military forces during his stay at Badrinath. He will be participating in a programme at Village Mana which is known as the last village of India on the Tibetan border.
It may be recalled that Modi has a spiritual bond with Uttarakhand. Even after becoming the Prime Minister, he has visited both these shrines multiple times and has even spent a night in meditation in a Kedarnath cave in 2019 just before the last phase of General Elections. As Prime Minister it will be his sixth visit to Kedarnath and second to Badrinath. During the visit, the BJP expects Modi to announce some new scheme or project for Uttarakhand, though he has refrained usually from this during his visits to Kedarnath.