Wednesday, 06 October 2021 | PNS | Nainital
Accepting the submission of the state government, the Uttarkhand High Court has allowed unrestricted numbers of pilgrims to visit the Char Dham shrines in the state. However, all the pilgrims are required to observe the Covid protocols. The State government has also issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) following the high court orders, for the pilgrims to follow. As per the court directions, the administration will be responsible for observance of the Covid protocols by the visitors. The district legal service authority (DLSA) will also submit its report to the court.In its order, the HC has also directed that medical facilities be augmented in the Char Dham shrine locations and that helicopters be arranged to ferry to the seriously ill.The mobile phone number for information related to this should be made available on the website concerned. The case will be will be taken up for hearing next on November 17.
The advocate general informed the court that in pursuance of HC orders, the State government had fixed the number of pilgrims allowed to visit the Char Dham shrines daily. However, presently, the new Covid-19 cases are almost negligible in the state considering which changes should be made to the limitation on number of pilgrims.
The AG also said that about three weeks are left before the Char Dham Yatra concludes, considering which all the devotees who come here should be allowed to visit the shrines. The state government also stated that presently, about 28,000 and 10,000 devotees are respectively visiting Balaji and Somnath shrines daily. In Uttarakhand, the schools, malls, colleges and even cinema halls have been opened, considered which the number of pilgrims allowed to visit the Char Dham shrines should be increased.
