Religious and Pilgrimage Council to be formed for religious tours in Uttarakhand, report submitted to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami
Uttarakhand Dharmsva and Tirthatan Parishad will be formed for the management of Chardham, Shrinanda Rajjat, Kailash and other religious pilgrimages and big fairs in Devbhoomi.
The high level committee constituted in this regard has recommended the council in its report submitted to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday. This council, to be formed at three levels, will remain active throughout the year and take steps for the operation and management of the pilgrimages and fairs. The committee has also recommended giving the responsibility of CEO of the council to the commissioners of both Garhwal and Kumaon divisions.
In Uttarakhand, it has always been challenging to make arrangements for the journey along with crowd management in other pilgrimages including Chardham. After the problems faced this time at the beginning of the Chardham Yatra, the need was felt to constitute such an authority, council or institution for the operation and management of the pilgrimages to be held across the state, which would remain active throughout the year.
In this sequence, on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a high level committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan. The members of the committee include Secretary Sachin Kurve, Dilip Jawalkar, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) AP Anshuman, Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey and Inspector General of Police Garhwal KS Nagnyal.
The committee deliberated on all aspects in depth. The committee’s chairman and members, including Additional Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, submitted their report to the Chief Minister on Wednesday evening. In this, recommendations have been given to make the operation of the Yatras being conducted in the state smooth and easy in future. Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, chairman and members of the committee were present on this occasion.
According to sources, the committee has recommended that the Uttarakhand Dharmsw and Pilgrimage Council will be constituted at three levels in the state. At the state level, the council headed by the Chief Minister will do the work of policy formulation, while the council headed by the Chief Secretary will have the responsibility of monitoring and evaluation. A council will be constituted under the chairmanship of divisional commissioners for implementation and planning in both the divisions. The divisional commissioners of Garhwal and Kumaon will be the CEOs of the council in their respective divisions. Sources said that Kanwar Yatra has been kept out of the purview of the council.
