Saturday, 30 April 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Maintaining the focus on checking preparations for the Char Dham Yatra, the State’s Tourism, Culture and Public Works minister Satpal Maharaj made an unscheduled visit to the ISBT in Rishikesh to check the arrangements on Friday.
The minister checked the Char Dham Yatra registration centre at the ISBT, Bharat Bhumi tourist guest house, Rishilok tourist guest house and Yatra office during his visit. He also directed the employees to submit their report to him without delay. The minister said that he has approved a sum of Rs 198.23 lakh for upgradation of the Bharat Bhumi tourist guest house. This will enable the provision of more facilities for the pilgrims.
Talking to the Public Works Department officials, the minister directed them to build a road from the Chandrabhaga bridge behind ISBT to the Chandrabhaga bridge near Natraj Chowk. Addressing the officials he said, “The Char Dham Yatra is a matter of prestige for the State. Considering this, all of us have to work together with the sense of ‘Atithi Devo Bhawa’,” said Maharaj. The former director of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), Pankaj Bhatt, Municipal Corporation of Rishikesh executive engineer and other officials concerned were also present on the occasion.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Char Dham Yatra is scheduled to start on May 3 with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya. The portals of Kedarnath and Badrinath are scheduled to be opened to the public on May 6 and May 8 respectively.
It is worth mentioning here that as the Char Dham Yatra was not held in its full fledged form during the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a record breaking number of pilgrims is expected to visit the Char Dham shrines this year. More than two lakh online registrations have been made by pilgrims so far.
