Saturday, 18 MAY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Bharatiya Janata Party State president and Rajya Sabha member Mahendra Bhatt has opined that the record number of people arriving in Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra have created a golden opportunity for boosting the State’s economy. Stating that everybody’s involvement is vital for making the pilgrimage safe and systematic, he said that chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is working at the ground level to ensure proper arrangements, which is appreciable.
He opined, “This journey towards a systematic Yatra will take us towards a developed Uttarakhand. CM Dhami is himself monitoring the Yatra arrangements while the pilgrims are also enthusiastic at the same time. The CM is issuing necessary instructions to the officials and also seeking feedback from pilgrims at the ground level, which is something which boosts the morale of the pilgrims.”
Stating that the arrangements made by the police and administration for the pilgrimage are satisfactory, Bhatt said that the consistently rising number of pilgrims is a golden opportunity for the State. “It is important that the roads, accommodation, water, health, food and communication facilities are proper and the pilgrims reaching the Char Dham should be according to the capacity of the shrines. Regulating the flow of tourists might make the local businessmen view it as detrimental to business in the short term but they will reap bigger benefits as the pilgrimage progresses. The BJP also welcomes the decision to enable the pilgrimage according to registration because this will enable better arrangements which will make their pilgrimage more convenient and safe.”
The BJP State president further said that the followers of Santan Dharm have been maintaining the sanctity of the Char Dham for centuries so both the locals and the visitors are responsible for maintaining the system, tradition and sanctity of the pilgrimage. All must follow the guidelines of the police and administration for the pilgrimage so that the experience is convenient and safe for all, he said.
Bhatt said, “The prohibition of mobile phones in the Kedarnath temple complex was needed as the number of devotees arriving here was already high. In such a situation, making reels and videography exacerbates the load and causes inconvenience to others.”
He requested all those undertaking the Char Dham Yatra to not do anything that hurts the religious sentiments or goes against the traditions of others. They should inform the authorities if they witness anything of this sort. All should desist from spreading negative videos or misinformation which may dent the image of Uttarakhand and Sanatan culture.
