The Chief Secretary (CS) of Uttarakhand Utpal Kumar Singh inspected reconstruction works at Kedarnath on Wednesday. The CS undertook a review of the activities undertaken in and around the Kedarnath shrine and directed that the bridle pathway from MI-26 to Saraswati Bridge should be completed before April 10.
On a stern note the CS warned that action would be initiated against the contractor concerned if the work stipulated to him is not completed on time. He said that the view of the temple should not get hindered and for it he directed that arrangement for lights should be made on sides of the path. He also suggested construction of a safety wall and said that houses located behind the 50 ft pathway should be demolished. Singh said that the measurements of the houses to be demolished should be taken and places for their occupants should be earmarked. He said that the stone cutting machine installed behind the MI- 17 helipad should get operational and directed PWD and power department for the uninterrupted power supply to the machine.
The CS asked the officers of PWD to ensure that the stones being sculpted at Sonprayag are brought in time to the shrine. He said that Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) has been asked to supply 10000 stones while remaining stones would be provided by the PWD. The CS directed that the construction work on Samadhi of Shankaracharya and reconstruction of demolished houses should be expedited. The CS was accompanied by Garhwal Commissioner Dilip Jawalkar, District Magistrate of Rudraprayag Mangesh Ghildiyal and Chief Engineer of PWD Om Prakash Upreti.
It is worth mentioning here that reconstruction of Kedarnath shrine is one of the priorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he has expressed it many a times. He made it a point to attend the temple both during the opening and closing of the portals last year. PM is expected to remain present during the opening ceremony of portal of Kedarnath this year also and the state administration wants to complete most of the pending works before his arrival.