The Uttarakhand government has issued an order designating three senior IAS officers as ‘nodal officers’ to ensure smooth functioning of the ongoing Char Dham yatra and prompt resolution of pilgrims’ problems.
The Kedarnath yatra has been assigned to Secretary Agriculture BVRC Purushottam, while the yatra to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib has been assigned to Secretary Disaster Management Ranjit Sinha. Surendra Narayan Pandey, an IAS officer, has been appointed as the nodal officer for the Gangotri and Yamunotri yatras.
The order issued on Sunday stated, “Besides smooth operation of the yatra, the concerned officials are required to act on the problems faced by pilgrims in the respective shrines, coordinate with district and state-level officials and submit a daily report to the chief secretary.”
In addition, some pilgrims have complained about “overpricing of essential items by local shopkeepers and a lack of adequate facilities” as a result of the edict. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recently stated that the state administration expects more pilgrims than last year’s nearly 40 lakh devotees.
Assigning senior IAS officers in charge of each temple will promote greater coordination and streamline the government’s efforts for seamless management of the pilgrimage.
Since the pilgrimage began on April 22, the state government has received nearly 18 lakh registrations for Char Dham. Since the beginning of the yatra, over 80,000 pilgrims have visited Kedarnath, over 30,000 have visited Badrinath, and over a lakh have visited the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines.
