Wednesday, 12 May 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
After chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat announced the postponement of the Char Dham Yatra amid the rising cases of Covid-19, the government has instructed that other bookings be cancelled and that those who had booked helicopter service should be refunded.
Tourism secretary Dilip Jawalkar said,”Every year thousands of pilgrims visit Uttarakhnd for Char Dham Yatra. Keeping in mind the safety of pilgrims from across India and abroad, the state government has decided to postpone the Yatra. Directions have been given to Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) to refund the amount for helicopter bookings after excluding the processing fee of Rs 200. The amount will be deposited in the bank accounts of the pilgrims.”
It is pertinent to mention that the responsibility of booking tickets for helicopter service to Kedarnath was given to GMVN by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB). The booking opened from April 2 on GMVN website.
GMVN managing director Ashish Chauhan said, “The amount of booking was taken by GMVN on behalf of the helicopter operators. Nearely 11,000 pilgrims had booked helicopter services for the pilgrimage.”
