CM reviews Char Dham Yatra management
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 2 Jun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat here, today, to review the management of the ongoing Char Dham Yatra. During the review, the CM asserted that the guiding principle of the Char Dham Yatra management must be ‘safe pilgrimage, smooth darshan and continuous dialogue’. He emphasised on better coordination, effective communication and organised management to make the pilgrimage safer and more successful.
The CM also directed that a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) be prepared to regulate darshan arrangements in line with the capacity of each shrine. He stressed on a strict enforcement of the ban on vehicular movement on Char Dham routes between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. and reiterated that the safety of pilgrims is the state government’s foremost priority. He also added that heavy vehicles linked to essential services be allowed only at night, while daytime movement must remain restricted.
Dhami said that in case of crowding beyond capacity at any shrine or halt, the flow of vehicles and pilgrims should be controlled at the holding areas and checkpoints in lower regions. The pilgrims must be moved forward in a phased manner to avoid disorder. He directed that holding areas where pilgrims are stopped or accommodated must have adequate facilities including parking, food, drinking water, toilets and other basic amenities. He added that the pilgrims must not merely be halted but also kept informed about the reasons, expected waiting time and subsequent arrangements. The CM also directed the Police, the administration and the management staff to maintain sensitivity, courtesy and cooperation in their behaviour towards pilgrims.
The CM made it clear that the pilgrims should never face a lack of information. Public information systems, LED displays, social media platforms, WhatsApp channels and FM radio must be used to continuously broadcast updates. He added that the details of roadblocks, weather changes, traffic jams or delays in darshan should be provided to the pilgrims promptly to prevent any possible confusion or dissatisfaction.
Dhami observed that the first phase of the Char Dham Yatra had been conducted successfully through coordinated efforts of the administration, the police, the disaster management and other departments. He added that as the pilgrimage now enters its second and more challenging phase with monsoon and adverse weather as major concerns, management be carried out with heightened vigilance, control and scientific planning. He directed the officials to review the feedback, the complaints and the suggestions submitted by the pilgrims daily and to ensure immediate corrective action wherever required.
The CM also directed advance deployment of JCBs, Poclain machines, satellite phones, ambulances and rescue equipment at sensitive locations to enable swift response in emergencies or roadblocks. He asked all the officers to remain in the field, inspect the arrangements regularly and provide prompt assistance to the pilgrims. He directed Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop and IG Garhwal Rajiv Swaroop to hold regular review of all the arrangements and ensure quick resolution of issues faced by the pilgrims and the local residents. District Magistrates (DMs) and Superintendents of Police (SSPs/SPs) of all districts linked to the Yatra were told to maintain constant monitoring and effective management.
Dhami also directed the officials to ensure that the hotels, restaurants and the dhabas along the routes display rate lists mandatorily and to ensure regular sampling of food items to check quality. He listed cleanliness at shrines and pedestrian routes as a top priority and asked the officials to ensure adequate toilets and their regular cleaning. He said that a nodal officer be appointed at the state level for heli-ambulance services so that the DMs can coordinate swiftly to transfer critical patients to advanced medical centres. He further instructed that sufficient shelters be erected along the Kedarnath pedestrian route to protect pilgrims from rain and sun.
Among those present at the meeting were Cabinet Ministers Satpal Maharaj and Bharat Chaudhary, MLA Anil Nautiyal, Vice Chairman of the State Disaster Management Advisory Committee Vinay Kumar Rohila, Vice Chairman of Uttarakhand Infrastructure Monitoring Council Vishwas Dawar, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Secretaries Shailesh Bagoli, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Vinay Shankar Pandey, Ranveer Singh Chauhan and Vinod Kumar Suman, IG Garhwal Rajiv Swaroop, Additional Secretary Banshidhar Tiwari, while MLAs Suresh Chauhan and Asha Nautiyal, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Hemant Dwivedi, Commissioner Garhwal Anand Swaroop and the DMs concerned and SSPs/SPs concerned attended the meeting virtually.
