Delhi govt to initiate direct transfer to kanwar committees

Approved committees will be granted a one-time aid of ₹50,000 to ₹10 lakh, depending on the size of the camp and duration

New Delhi

Chief minister Rekha Gupta addresses a press conference. (Hindustan Times)

The Delhi government has ended the tender system for setting up kanwar camps and will, instead, initiate direct-benefit transfers (DBT) to approved kanwar committees to make arrangements for pilgrims, chief minister Rekha Gupta said on social media.

Approved committees will be granted a one-time aid of ₹50,000 to ₹10 lakh, depending on the size of the camp and duration. The recommendation of the local MLA and MP has been made mandatory for registration.

In a press conference on the day, the CM said: “Fifty per cent of the total grant amount will be given in advance to the kanwar committees, while the remaining 50% will be released only after the committee submits the utilisation certificate (UC), verification with geo-tagged photos by the SDM or tehsildar, and complete audit documents.”

Adding that free electricity, up to 1,200 units, will be provided to each camp, the CM alleged the tender system was a source of “corruption” and attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over it, claiming the funds never reached the committees. “Today, in the cabinet meeting, a historic decision was taken to make the upcoming Kanwar Yatra grand, divine, and transparent. Now, in this sacred yatra, financial assistance will be provided directly through DBT to the registered committees... All permissions will be mandatorily issued within 72 hours through a single window system. Free electricity up to 1200 units, excellent drinking water arrangements, cleanliness, and smooth traffic management—these arrangements will be ensured by the Delhi government with full alertness and reverence,” CM Gupta said in a post on X.

The Kanwar Yatra is a pilgrimage carried out in the month of “Shravan” as per the Hindu calendar, wherein pilgrims travel to Haridwar to fetch water from the Ganges, and return on foot. This year, the annual pilgrimage is set to be held between July 11 and 22. Delhi has around 170 registered kanwar committees, which set up camps at designated places.

The CM said the cabinet approved setting up a “Mukhyamantri Dharmik Utsav Samiti” to handle the management of religious events, such as Kanwar Yatra and Chhath Puja. To be sure, the AAP regime ran a similar panel under the banner of Delhi Tirth Yatra Samiti.

“The committee is likely to be set up in a month, with a chairman and nine members. Until the committee takes formal shape, a separate team has been constituted by the CM to manage this year’s Kanwar Yatra,” tourism minister Kapil Mishra said.

As part of the arrangements for this year, a team headed by Kapil Mishra and comprising four BJP MLAs will consider requests from kanwar committees for registration.

Officials aware of the developments said that the registration started on Tuesday and will be a continuous process, but applications for DBT this year will only be considered till the next week.