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Uttarakhand Assembly: Congress alleges lack of facilities for Char Dham pilgrims
The Uttarakhand government maintained that it has been making all possible arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Char Dham pilgrimage
The Opposition Congress legislators in the Uttarakhand Assembly on Wednesday alleged that the state government has failed to provide proper facilities to the Char Dham pilgrims even though it knew that the turn out will be huge this year after two years of the Covid pandemic. However, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state maintained that it has been making all possible arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Char Dham pilgrimage.
On the second day of the Uttarakhand assembly’s budget session, Congress legislators alleged that not only 152 people died during the pilgrimage but also a large number of mules and horses have also lost their lives during the Char Dham yatra.
“ ₹150 is being taken from each horse and mule operator by the state government but when it comes to providing facilities for horses and mules, nothing much has been done,” deputy leader of Opposition and Congress MLA from Khatima, Bhuwan Kapri alleged in the state Assembly.
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Congress MLA from Badrinath, Rajendra Singh Bhandari, said due to registration for Char Dham yatra, other pilgrimages have been affected and hoteliers have suffered across the state. He demanded that the registration system be done away with so that more pilgrims can come here and the local economy will get a boost. He said horses and mules are dying on Char Dham routes due to failure of the health system. “And many of these dead mules and horses are being thrown in the rivers,” he added.
Gopal Singh Rana, Congress MLA from Nanakmatta, alleged that pilgrims are being harassed in the name of registration. He said pilgrims are facing difficulties during the yatra. “There are no major accommodation facilities for pilgrims on the yatra route. The government is not paying attention to how to provide proper facilities for the pilgrims. There are no resting places for mules and horses. Garbage pile-ups on the routes are becoming an open invitation for diseases.”
Vikram Singh Negin, Congress MLA from Pratapnagar, said the expected seriousness of the government in the aftermath of the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy is not visible. “After two years of Covid impact, it was expected that there would be a huge footfall of pilgrims. But the government did not prepare properly. Many pilgrims who arrived in Rishikesh couldn’t move ahead. Pilgrims are suffering en route due to the lack of facilities. There are no tin sheds/canopy where pilgrims can take shelter during rain. Danger zones on Char Dham roads and routes are not being manned properly due to which many accidents have happened. Due to all this, a wrong message is going out from the state.”
Khajan Das, BJP MLA from Rajpur in Dehradun, said people whose mules and horses have died on the yatra routes should be compensated by the state government.
Sumit Hridayesh, Congress MLA from Haldwani, said a private company from Gujarat has been given a contract for providing facilities during the yatra. “Over 152 people have died during the yatra. Does the government have their medical records? Pilgrims have gone back with negative feedback about the management of the yatra,” he said.
Virender Kumar, Congress MLA from Jhabrera, said Char Dham yatra arrangements should be made along the lines of the Vaishno Devi shrine.
Responding to the issue raised by the Congress legislators, cabinet minister Premchand Aggarwal said after two years of Covid, a huge number of pilgrims have come for the yatra and the government is making all possible arrangements for the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.
“Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami himself is reviewing the yatra and issuing directions from time to time for making it safer. The state government has also put a cap on daily pilgrims’ numbers for Char Dham shrines,” Aggarwal said.
He said registration has been made compulsory so that pilgrims can be provided with all possible facilities in a proper way and their numbers can be monitored. “A call centre has been started for pilgrims which receives around 400 calls every day.”
The cabinet minister said around 5,000 to 6,000 pilgrims are coming without online registration, who are being registered physically at 18 registration centres across the state. “Health advisory and information about weather are also being provided to the pilgrims. Specialist doctors have also been deployed on yatra routes. 119 ambulances have also been deployed. Health screenings are also being conducted at nine places,” he said.
Aggarwal said over 2 million pilgrims have visited the Char Dham shrines so far.
On the issues raised on mules and horses, Aggarwal said 158 mules and horses have died on the yatra routes due to dehydration and colic “SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) has been issued with regard to them. A 20-member mule task force has also been formed. Four teams of veterinary doctors with 18 doctors have been deployed on the yatra routes. Warm water is also being arranged. Our government is continually monitoring the situation with regard to horses and mules,” he said.
The minister said senior government functionaries are holding meetings along the yatra routes and taking measures for smooth conduct of the yatra.
