Uttarakhand High Court stays Char Dham Yatra, orders live streaming of four shrines

The Uttarakhand high court passed the order days after the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state decided to allow pilgrims only from the districts in which the shrines are located from July 1.

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday stayed the state Cabinet's decision permitting the Char Dham Yatra with a limited number of pilgrims. The high court also directed the state government to ensure live streaming of visuals from the four shrines, according to news agency ANI.

The High Court asked the government to file the affidavit again by July 7. In view of Covid-19 and poor health preparedness, the decision of the government has been put on hold by High Court, it said.

“It is the interest of the public to stay the operation of Cabinet decision dated 25 June and to direct the government not to permit pilgrims to reach the Char Dham temples,” the high court while passing its order.

The high court then posted the matter for the next hearing on July 7. The high court passed the order days after the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state decided to allow pilgrims only from the districts in which the Char Dham shrines are located from July 1.

The government had then said that RT-PCR tests would be mandatory for these pilgrims, who would only be allowed in a limited number.

Meanwhile, ahead of the opening of Char Dham Yatra for the residents of 3 districts of Uttarakhand, on instructions of the Chief Minister, Tirath Singh Rawat, additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines were made available to inoculate the persons related to the yatra. 

The additional vaccines have been given to the districts of Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, along with the districts of Tehri and Pauri, which are on the way of the Char Dham Yatra.

The Chief Minister has also instructed to vaccinate all those who will be in direct contact with pilgrims of the yatra before its commencement, to ensure the safety of both the locals and the visitors.

Guidelines have been issued to the concerned officials to vaccinate the priests, shopkeepers, Dhaba operators, local residents, mule operators, cab drivers, and others associated with the Chard Dam Yatra timely. 

Following the order, 5,000 additional doses each have been provided to the aforementioned districts. However, Uttarkashi received 10,000 additional doses of vaccine. 

The high court passed the order days after the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state decided to allow pilgrims only from the districts in which the shrines are located from July 1.