PNS | DEHRADUN
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the Uttarakhand government is working in the direction of ensuring that the famous Char Dham Yatra in the State remains operational throughout the year. Interacting with the media after the oath taking ceremony of Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal at Vidhan Sabha on Saturday, Dhami said that at present the Char Dham Yatra remains operational for four to six months only in a year. The government is working on a plan to attract pilgrims to the winter abodes of Char Dhams.
The CM said that facilities will be improved and efforts will be made to ensure that the pilgrims don’t face any problems in winter Char Dham Yatra. Dhami added that he and cabinet ministers of the State will visit winter abodes of Char Dhams and appeal to the people to visit the State for winter Char Dham Yatra. “The sun shines brightly in the hills in winters when most of the plains areas of the country are covered with thick fog. We will ask pilgrims to visit the State during winter period,” he said.
On Friday, the CM had directed the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) to provide a 10 per cent rebate to the pilgrims staying in its hotels for the winter Char Dham Yatra. During winter, the deities of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri move to Ukhimath, Joshimath, Mukbha and Kharsali respectively which are their winter abodes.
On the question of complaints that some people who had purchased lands in Uttarakhand in violation of existing land laws are selling their lands to local people, the CM said that people should not purchase land from such people. He said that the government is working on making a stringent land law in the State. He said that those who have purchased lands in the State in violation of the norms or who are making use of the land for other purposes than they have bought the land then the government will take action against them.
