Dehradun: With Char Dham Yatra scheduled to begin next month, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has sought the help of central agencies in improving connectivity on the pilgrimage route saying the task is unachievable without their cooperation.
"A large section of the roads on Char Dham Yatra route fall under the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) or the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). As such, roads on the pilgrimage route cannot be improved without their support," Rawat was quoted as saying by an official release here today.
"If we don't get the support of central agencies in the task, it is impossible to improve connectivity on the yatra route," he said.
The Chief Minister has also written to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar asking him to instruct the BRO to complete repair and reconstruction work on roads falling under its ambit well before the start of the yatra season next month.
He said he will soon meet both Parrikar and Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to expedite the matter.
Rawat has also offered to allocate funds to the BRO for the time being if there is delay on part of the Centre to allocate funds to it to improve the condition of roads on the yatra route.
Though admitting that inclement weather is affecting reconstruction work on yatra route, Rawat expressed confidence that everything will be in place well in time.
The sacred portals of Kedarnath shrine, one of the Char Dhams, are scheduled to reopen on April 24 after their closure for winters.
