Uttarakhand chief secretary reviews Kedarnath reconstruction works, Badrinath master plan

New Delhi: Uttarakhand chief secretary Anand Bardhan held a meeting with the departments concerned and district magistrates to review the Kedarnath reconstruction works and Badrinath master plan at the State Secretariat on Wednesday.

The chief secretary Bardhan said that it is necessary to identify and resolve the practical problems faced in the travel route and darshan in Kedarnath and Badrinath for the Chardhara Yatra to be conducted smoothly and systematically every year.

On this occasion, He also collected information about the progress of Kedarnath reconstruction and Badrinath master plan works. Chief secretary Bardhan said that the devotees going on Chardham Yatra should have a pleasant experience during the journey. “We have to prepare at this level. While giving ‘darshan tokens’ to the devotees, information about which number of darshan is currently going on in the temple should be displayed properly. This time, this arrangement should be ensured compulsorily for the Chardham Yatra,” he told the officials.


While receiving the token, the devotees should also be made aware about the expected time required for the darshan. He also said that arrangements for golf carts and all-terrain vehicles should be ensured for the devotees who are wheelchair-bound and are unable to walk.

He directed that signage and QR code-based information boards be installed at various locations to ensure pilgrims receive the necessary and appropriate information during the pilgrimage. He said that certified guides should be made available at all tourist destinations in the state. He directed the Tourism Department to prepare an action plan for guide training programs.

The chief secretary Bardhan said that in view of the possible significant increase in the number of devotees at the Kedarnath Temple complex, Gaurikund, and Sonprayag after the Kedarnath Ropeway becomes operational, preparations should be made now to tackle the crowd. He also directed that the Kedarnath Temple complex be expanded and that the possibilities for parking and other facilities be explored in Gaurikund and Sonprayag.

On this occasion, Secretary Dr. V. Shanmugam, Shri Dhiraj Singh Garbyal, District Magistrate Rudraprayag Shri Prateek Jain and District Magistrate Chamoli Shri Gaurav Kumar along with other senior officers were present through video conferencing.