Kedarnath preps for PM Modi’s visit

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ The Chardham Devasthanam Board stepped up its preparations on Wednesday in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kedarnath on November 5.  Roads and a helipad en route to the Himalayan shrine have already been cleared of snow while work on the beautification of the temple and other minor arrangements are underway, the Devasthanam board’s media incharge Harish Gaud said.

Board CEO Ravinath Raman has assigned the responsibility of streamlining all arrangements to additional CEO BD Singh.   The government machinery is also working in full swing with District Magistrate Manuj Goyal having held several rounds of meetings with various departments and sector magistrates to review the preparations and issue necessary instructions, SDM Jitendra Verma said.

 The temperature at Kedarnath has dropped with peaks around the temple laden with snow, but the weather is bright and sunny, Gaud said.   Pilgrims are arriving at the four sites — Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri temples — in large numbers following Covid protocol, he said. The prime minister is scheduled to visit Kedarnath on November 5, a day ahead of its closure for winters, to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of reconstruction projects worth at least Rs 400 crore.