Dehradun: In a development likely to give fresh impetus to reconstruction work around Kedarnath, the state government has completed the land acquisition process for developing a new road to the famed Himalayan temple, a senior official said on Tuesday.
The new road, much broader than the earlier one, and a decongested landscape around the shrine are part of a master plan prepared by the state government for reconstruction around the temple which bore the brunt of the 2013 calamity, Rudraprayag District Magistrate Raghav Langer said.
"It is a significant development. The government has finally completed the land acquisition process for the development of a 50 feet wide approach path to the temple and also 30 feet area for a clear unobstructed landscape on both sides of the temple.
"It will?pave the way for Kedarnath Master Plan to be implemented on the ground," Langer said, adding that the matter was hanging fire for nearly two years.
It was possible only after a series of negotiations between the district administration, public representatives and the teerth purohits who own the private land in kedarpuri with their lodges and dharamshalas built on it, he said.
"It was a herculean task to bring the Kedarnath teerth purohits to the negotiation table and to address their various concerns, myths and anxieties.
"It took thousands of meetings, countless hours of negotiations and a series of confidence building measures spread over almost 2 years, to win their trust," he said.
With the teerth purohits finally agreeing to the special compensation norms laid down for them by the state government, a?major obstacle in reconstruction of the road and decongesting the area stands removed, he said.
It will give a fresh momentum in rebuilding work around the temple on scientific lines.
Giving the details, the DM said the buildings and land falling within 50 feet proposed approach path to the temple (after crossing the bailey bridge on river Saraswati) and within 30-30 feet on each side of the temple platform were kept in a special category group.
This will include special compensation norms set for their owners (teerth purohits) if they agree to give their private land to the Government and exchange it with government land elsewhere.
