The Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay has said that due to lack of approval from the Central Government for helicopter service, the pilgrims wanting to fly to Kedarnath are facing inconvenience. The Pradesh Congress Committee chief said that though the Char Dham Yatra has started recently with the reopening of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines on April 21, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has not accorded permission for helicopter services for Char Dham Yatra despite repeated requests made by the government of Uttarakhand.

He stated that the pilgrims wanting to take the helicopter to Kedarnath are at halt in Gaurikund, Fata and lincholi among other places due to which the local administration is also facing inconvenience apart from which the helicopter service companies are also sustaining loss. The absence of permission for the helicopter services is also exerting a negative effect on the image of the State Government.

Upadhyay said that the attitude of the Central Government is having a detrimental effect on the income of locals and traders. The PCC chief further averred that recently the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had taken the bridle path to Kedarnath which had raised the confidence of devotees. At a time when a positive message had been broadcast to devotees in India and abroad, the apathetic attitude of the Central Government is causing considerable inconvenience to the pilgrims, he said. The BJP lok Sabha MPs from Uttarakhand should raise this issue with the Centre in the interests of the State, added Upadhyay.