More than Rs 190 crore business in Kedarnath this year
Friday, 28 October 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Private sector & government earn major revenue from Char Dham Yatra
The State government has stated that the pilgrimage to Kedarnath was considerably profitable for the local businesses. The business touched about Rs 190 crore which includes Yatra tickets, horse-mules, helicopters and Dandi-Kandi operators. The State government earned a revenue of more than Rs eight crore from this. The authorities had registered operators of 4,302 horses and 8,664 mules in Kedarnath which carried 5.34 lakh pilgrims to and back from the temple. Similarly the Dandi-Kandi operators did a business of about Rs 86 lakh while helicopter companies earned Rs 75.40 crore. Further, Rs 75 lakh was earned from the Sitapur and Sonprayag parking facilities.
In Yamunotri, the horse-mule operators did a business of about Rs 21 crore. About 2,900 horses and mules were registered to carry pilgrims in Yamunotri. According to the district Panchayat, the pilgrimage to Yamunotri resulted in a business of about Rs 21.75 crore this year. Apart from this, the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam which was suffering financial loss in past years has so far seen a business of Rs 40 crore on the Yatra circuit and its total income is expected to reach Rs 50 crore by the end of the Yatra. Compared to the past years, the taxi operators on the Yatra route are estimated to have earned three times more.