By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 24 Apr: “Negligence will not be tolerated during the Chardham Yatra. Full care should be taken of hospitality, and arrangements made to ensure that there is on overloading of passenger vehicles. In case of landslides and jams, there should be arrangements for evacuation of passengers via alternate routes,” ordered State Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj while reviewing preparations for the Chardham Yatra, on Saturday.
In view of the possibility of a record breaking number of pilgrims this year during the Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri Char Dham Yatra, Minister Satpal Maharaj inaugurated the ‘Pancham’ at the Uttarakhand Secretariat.
He said that any kind of negligence would not be tolerated in the Chardham Yatra. In the meeting with officials of departments like Public Works, NHI, DGBR, Home, Police, Medical, Food and Supplies, Transport, Tourism, Garhwal Mandal Development Corporation, etc., he gave clear instructions that the guests should be provided the best of hospitality. No vehicle should be permitted to have more passengers than its carrying capacity. For the convenience of passengers, there should be signage on the travel routes.
The Tourism Minister directed the Public Works Department to complete improvement works on roads well in time. The widening of National Highways under DGBR should also be done expeditiously. Along with the deployment of machines to open the blocked roads during the journey, the dumping zones should be quickly leveled and used for parking of vehicles and toilets in case of jams.
Addressing officials of the Home and Police Departments, he said that proper management should be done for the deployment of SDRF, Police Force, Water Police, Divers and Traffic Police at the Dhams and Yatra routes during the season.
Medical officers present at the meeting were told that there should be proper arrangement of adequate staff, life saving medicines, equipment, portable oxygen cylinders and ambulances at temporary medical centres on the Chardham Yatra routes. The deployment of cardiologists and other specialists should be ensured at Kedarnath and Yamunotri Dhams. Along with deployment of health inspectors for checking adulterated food items, he asked the Food and Supplies Department to ensure uninterrupted supply along the travel routes.
The Tourism Minister instructed the officials to fix the rates of food and accommodation in hotels, dhabas, etc. The Transport Department was asked to regularly check vehicles by setting up check posts on the Chardham Yatra route. Special care should be taken of overloading and drunken driving should be strictly enforced.
Special care of children, the elderly and women should be taken ensuring water, milk and fruit supply for them in case of jams.
He said it is necessary to have a Tourist Safety Management System for the registration of travellers coming for the Chardham Yatra.
Present at the meeting were Principal Secretary, Public Works Department, RK Sudhanshu, Secretary, Tourism, Dilip Jawalkar, Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar, Swati S Bhadauria, BS Manral, PK Patro, UTDB CEO Col Ashwani Pundir, DIG, Garhwal, KS Naganyal, UTDB Additional Director Vivek Chauhan, AD, Health, US Kandwal, Pramod Kumar, Rajesh Kumar and BD Singh. The District Magistrates of Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi including the SPs and CO Guptkashi were present online.
