Rs 140 crores being spent on the facelift of Kedarnath and Badrinath Dhams

The government of Uttarakhand has released a new advertising sticker that is doing the rounds of social networking sites like face book and whats app apart from advertisements in the media released by Uttarakhand’s directorate of information and publicty under the title ” Saal Vishwas ka, Sankalp Vikas ka” and Uttarakhand simply heaven.

The advertisement with the colourful picture of Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and historic Kedarnath Temple mailing highlights four major points enticing tourists frim various parts of India and abroad assuring them of the various high budgeted tourism develooment in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand.

The first point of the advertisement highlights about the governments initiative to encourage Home stay planning / scheme so as to enable development and inducements/ incentives to new torism destination in Uttarakhand. It also tries to impress upon the people of the sate and tourists about the up side down hi tech reconstruction and innovation of the entire Kedarnath vicinity with latest facilities, conveniences and modern outlook.

The cost involved in this whole exercise has been mention as Rs. 100 crores. The work seems to be in full swing and the prime minisyer of India Narendra Modi has few months ago assured the nation about the developmental KAYA KALP of the Kedarnath shrine vicinity called Kedar puri when he visited there to have Lord Shiva’s Darshan on the closing of the temple doors. The advertisement also mentions about the spending expenditire of Rs 40 crores in the entire facekift of Badrinath Dham for the convenience of the tourists and the pilgrims.

The fourth point mentions about the already started work on the ropeway at the famous religious Temples, Surkanda Devi and Poorna Giri while also assures about the proposed work to be started in the near future to connect the entire religious destinations with the hi tech ropeway facilities.

However, it still remains to be seen whether these advertised schemes would really be implemented on the ground level transparently to the satisfaction of the tourists and the state’s populace who had been waiting for years for these schemes to be completed. Let’s hope for the best.
SUNIL NEGI, PRESIDENT, UTTARAKHAND JURNALISTS FORUM