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Uttarakhand : Nainital High Court lifts ban on Chardham Yatra, orders to follow COVID rules

Uttarakhand High Court has lifted the ban on Chardham Yatra. On Thursday, during the hearing held in the High Court, the High Court has withdrawn the June 28 decision of ban on travel. Following the rules of COVID, the court has ordered to start the Chardham Yatra.

Government will issue new SOP for travel
During the hearing on Thursday, the Advocate General on behalf of the government said that the corona infection is now under control. In such a situation, the ban should be removed from the journey. The government will issue a new SOP for the journey.

The court said that 800 passengers will be allowed in Kedarnath Dham, 1200 passengers in Badrinath Dham, 600 in Gangotri and 400 in Yamunotri every day. Travelers will not be able to take bath in any of the pools.

It is mandatory to bring negative report and vaccine certificate
It will be mandatory for every passenger to bring Kovid-19 negative report and vaccine certificate. The court has also directed to deploy police force as required during the Chardham Yatra to be held in Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts.

The matter was heard on Thursday before a division bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma. Let us tell you that on September 10, the government had urged the court to hear the matter soon. The court had fixed September 16 for hearing the matter.

Chardham Yatra was banned due to COVID

On June 26, the High Court had banned the Chardham Yatra due to Kovid. Against this order, the government had filed an SLP in the Supreme Court, but recently the state government withdrew the SLP from the Supreme Court.

On September 10, the government had filed an application in the High Court seeking withdrawal of the SLP from the Supreme Court, lifting of the ban on Chardham Yatra in favor of compliance with Kovid rules, including fewer cases of Kovid in the state. In this case, many petitioners had filed a public interest litigation for Kovid investigation at the state border of people coming from outside states. The court had related the Kumbh Mela and Chardham Yatra on this PIL.

Congress will appeal in High Court to open Chardham Yatra
In the case of Chardham Yatra, the State Congress Committee will also plead in the Nainital High Court to open the yatra on Thursday. Senior advocate and former Advocate General Vijay Bahadur Singh Negi has been entrusted with the responsibility for this.

State Congress General Secretary Organization Mathuradutt Joshi said that State President Ganesh Godiyal has urged Negi to represent the Congress party in the High Court. Godiyal said that the matter is pending in the Nainital High Court regarding the Chardham Yatra which is closed in the state.

He said that Chardham Yatra is the main source of economy of the state. The government can give permission to organize the Kumbh Mela, but it is not able to start the Chardham Yatra due to which the stoves of many houses are burnt.