PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
To ensure that the devotees do not face any cash shortage during the high altitude Char Dham Yatra, the Uttarakhand District Cooperative bank has launched mobile ATM vans. The Bank officials claimed that these facilities would be available in many remote areas along the Yatra route in Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts, including Mana village, Phata, Rudraprayag, Guptkashi, Joshimath and Hemkund Sahib.
Cooperative minister Dhan Singh Rawat stated that pilgrims from various states travel to Uttarakhand for this pilgrimage and tourists also visit the region. He said that with mobile bank ATMs, the pilgrims can access cash 24 hours a day in the most remote areas along the Char Dham Yatra route. Last year, during the 2024 Char Dham Yatra, this facility was introduced in Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, receiving positive feedback from devotees. This year, the service has been extended from Mana ( the first village of the country) to Sonprayag, Gangotri and Yamunotri, he said.
The secretary, Cooperative and administrator, State Cooperative Bank, Dilip Jawalkar said that the service is being provided through three mobile ATM vans. “One operates on the Uttarkashi, Gangotri and Yamunotri route while two others have been deployed in Rudraprayag and Badrinath,” he informed.
Jawalkar added that the government’s aim is to ensure that devotees and tourists do not encounter any cash-related problems during the pilgrimage.
