Chardham Yatra 2024
– Photo: Samvad News Agency
Expansion
The number of pilgrims in the Char Dham Yatra has doubled the business compared to the last season. Especially the businessmen associated with hotels, dhabas and travel have done good business in 15 days. According to estimates, business worth more than 200 crores has been done so far. At the same time, the number of devotees has crossed 10 lakh.
Director General of Information Banshidhar Tiwari said, this time a record number of pilgrims have arrived for the Char Dham Yatra. This has increased the pressure in the Dhams, but the businessmen have benefited well. Within 15 days, various businessmen from hotels, dhabas, travel etc. have done a business of more than 200 crores in the four Dhams. Garhwal Mandal Development Corporation alone earned 22 crores, while the income from tax and other direct and indirect forms is many times more than this.
According to Ajay Puri, state president of Chardham Hotel Association, there are about 400 hotels, homestays and dharamshalas in Gangotri valley and 300 in Yamunotri valley. Rajesh Mehta, president of Badrinath Hotel Association, said, there are 850 hotels, homestays and dharamshalas from Srinagar to Badrinath and Rudraprayag to Kedarnath. Last year, the season opened on April 22 and initially fewer pilgrims came.
Whereas, this time due to the season opening late, there has been two to three times more crowd during the peak season. It can be estimated from the hotels and dhabas that there has been good business in all the four Dhams in 15 days. According to estimates, about 80 crores have been earned from hotels, dhabas and homestays, 20 crores from shopkeepers, 30 crores from horses, mules, dandi kandi and guides etc., 40 crores from travel and 30 crores from others. There has been good income from various taxes including parking, entry and from temple committee to pilgrim priests in the state.
Two new Yatra Magistrates appointed for Chardham Yatra
The government has appointed two new Yatra Magistrates for Yatra management in Chardham. These magistrates will give their services from May 26 to June 6. Earlier, the government had deployed three magistrates till May 25. Amid heavy crowd in Chardham Yatra, the government is continuously engaged in management. In this sequence, on May 13, the government deployed CDO Haridwar Pratik Jain in Badrinath Dham, CDO Tehri Abhishek Tripathi for Gangotri-Yamunotri and Vice President of Haridwar-Roorkee Development Authority Anshul Singh for Kedarnath Dham as Yatra Magistrates till May 25.
After the completion of their duty, the government has now appointed CDO Nainital Ashok Kumar Pandey as the Yatra Magistrate of Badrinath Dham and ADM Administration Pankaj Kumar Upadhyay as the Yatra Magistrate of Kedarnath. Both the officers have been given this responsibility till June 6. During the deployment period, they have to work under the supervision of the respective District Magistrates.