The Garhwal commissioner Dilip Javalkar directed officials of the regional transport office to conduct technical inspections of vehicles used by State roadways, various transport service providers and private vehicles ahead of the resumption of the Char Dham Yatra. He issued this and other instructions while chairing a meeting to review the preparations for the Char Dham Yatra here on the weekend.
The commissioner discussed various issues including arrangement of transportation, medical service, sanitation, food, drinking water, electricity and tele communications for the pilgrimage season with the officials concerned in the meeting.
Javalkar instructed regional transport officers to hold the technical inspection of the vehicles of state transport corporation, Garhwal Motor Owners Union (GMOU) limited, Tehri Garhwal Motor Owners Union (TGMOU) limited and of private service providers. The permits of the agencies and service providers should also be checked. He asked the District Magistrates to ensure the alternate roads in the districts concerned are facilitated on a priority basis. He also directed officials to place signboards and warning signs at sharp bends and identified accident prone sites to prevent road accidents.The officials of National Highways and PWD were also direted to repair and maintain roads on the Yatra circuit. Mechanical excavators, bulldozers and other machinery should also be made available at sites which are prone to landslides.
Javalkar instructed the transport department officers to constitute a joint rotation yatra arrangement committee for 2018 yatra and ensure the rotation of yatra buses. He also directed officials to established check posts, depoly staff in yatra season, check the fitness of buses and to draft a time table for the operation of the buses. The Garhwal commissioner also stated that more buses will be operated by the State transport corporation during the yatra season on the pilgrimage circuit for the convenience of the travellers. Javalkar instructed the police department to establish seasonal police chowki, police help centre, traffic and water police (divers) at selected spots on the Char Dham Yatra circuit. In case of landslide on the roads, the police should come into action efficienclty to regulate the vehicular traffic, he stressed.
The commissioner further instructed health department to deploy specialist doctors along the pedestrian routes to Kedarnath and Yamunotri. Provision should also be made for various life saving medicines and oxygen cylinders along with necessary staff at the primary health centres on the Yatra route. The rates of porters, Dandi-Kandi operators, horse and mule operators on the bridle paths to Kedarnath,Gangotri, Yamunotri and Hemkund should also be fixed. Temporary parking facility for vehicles should also be facilitated on the pilgrimage circuit. Javalkar also directed the officials concerned to ensure the regular supply of electricity, drinking water and connectivity of the communication during the forth coming Char Dham Yatra.
Deputy inspector general of police Pushpak Jyoti informed in the meeting that temporary tourist police posts will be established in 65 places during the Yatra. Additional commissioner Harak Singh Rawat, Pauri District Magistrate Sushil Kumar, Dehradun DM SA Murugesan, Chamoli DM Ashish Joshi, Tehri DM Sonika, Rudraprayag DM Mangesh Ghildiyal, Uttarkashi DM Ashish Chauhan and Haridwar DM Deepak Rawat along with police and other officials from the district were also present.