On the fourth day of the Budget session, the Question Hour passed off sans a glitch on Tuesday with the Opposition exercising restraint. However, the day proved a tad tough for the Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj while he was replying to a subsidiary question asked by the BJP MlA Chandan Ram Das. While replying to the question, Maharaj clarified that the tourism policy-2001 is still applicable in the State while the tourism policy-2017 has been proposed.
As the Question Hour commenced MlA Das asked the Tourism Minister whether he was aware of the Baijnath Dham in Bageswar district being connected with the tourism circuit and to spell out his future plans for tourism in the state. Maharaj said that Rs 16.39 crore out of proposed Rs 81.94 crore had been released in the year 2016-17 by the Centre for Baijnath and other kumaon region-based tourist spots under the project. “Several projects have been lined up for Baijnath like eco lounge huts, information centre cafe, yoga meditation centre, spot development, herbal garden, path way, safety wall, light and sound show, parking for vehicles, waiting lounge, view point, bench, septic tank, external electrification, drinking water, drainage, water tank, entry gate, development of ghat (embankment), solar light, special signage for entry and exit, floating jetty and the like,” he said. However, the minister could not answer when asked about who had made the estimate and about the tenders that have been floated so far.
With 8000 employees working for Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple committee and at Har Ki Paudi and drawing salary from Rs 5000 to Rs 20000, the Minister failed to answer when asked to spell out the Government’s stance vis-a-vis the short- term employees. The Minister merely said that the Government would consider their fate in future. MlA Preetam Singh embarrassed the tourism minister as he asked the minister to inform the House about the number of the traditional temples and places of historical importance being identified by the state government so far
Replying to a question about the Roorkee Jhabreda route, the transport minister Yashpal Arya said that currently two buses are plying on this route. The MlA said that earlier more than dozen buses used to ply along this route.