E-Paper
Uttarakhand CM seeks continuation of Air Force Audit Branch in Dehradun, PWD upkeep of key pilgrimage route
Pushkar Singh Dhami meets Defence Minister Rajnath Singh; raises concerns over audit branch location and maintenance of route linked to Nanda Devi Raj Jat.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the national capital and raised two administrative issues concerning the state — the proposed shifting of the Air Force Audit Branch from Dehradun and the future handling of maintenance responsibilities for a key mountain route used for the Nanda Devi Raj Jat pilgrimage.
According to officials familiar with the meeting, the chief minister requested that the Air Force Audit Branch, which has been functioning out of Dehradun “without interruption for many years,” continue to operate from the city. Dhami is understood to have told the minister that Dehradun’s strategic importance, given its proximity to both the China and Nepal borders and its concentration of defence and paramilitary establishments, makes it a suitable and necessary location for the audit unit.
He is learnt to have conveyed that any relocation could create operational challenges and that the presence of central defence audit operations in the state capital plays a role in wider coordination with security agencies stationed in the region. The minister assured him that the matter would be examined positively, an official present at the meeting said.
Dhami also raised the issue of the Gwaldam–Nandkesari–Tharali–Dewal–Mundoli–Wan road, a route that serves local communities in Chamoli district and is central to the Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra, a major cultural and religious event held once every 12 years. The next edition of the pilgrimage is scheduled for 2026.
The chief minister requested that maintenance of the road continue to remain with the state’s Public Works Department (PWD). He reportedly told the defence minister that the PWD has been handling the upkeep effectively due to its familiarity with the region’s terrain, its ability to respond quickly to recurring issues such as landslides, and its established coordination with local bodies.
The meeting comes at a time when Uttarakhand is preparing for heightened infrastructural needs ahead of several large religious gatherings and the winter deployment cycle along the state’s borders. While no final decision was announced, state officials expressed confidence that the Centre would consider Uttarakhand’s concerns, given both security and logistical factors.
