With surface transport services still remaining disrupted in Pithoragarh due to poor road connectivity that led to cancelation of the famous Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage midway in June, the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) which looks after the hospitality aspect of this ‘yatra’, has urged the Government of India to grant air transport facility to resume the aforesaid pilgrimage.
As the said pilgrimage concludes in September, the officials concerned of the KMVN are of the view that at least a few remaining batches of the pilgrims could go on the pilgrimage if the Government facilitates air transport service. “We have already written a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs urging the Government to provide air services at least from Didihat to Gunji in Pithoragrah so that pilgrims could go on the pilgrimage,” said DK Sarma, Divisional Manager, KMVN, while talking to The Pioneer in an exclusive interview.
“Now it is upto the Government to decide. We are waiting for the Centre’s decision in this regard,” he added. It is worth mention here that the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage began this year from New Delhi on June 12 and this yatra had to be initially suspended when the second batch could not move beyond Almora on way to the Kailash Mansarovar due to bad weather conditions for four days since July 16.
More so, this ‘yatra’ had to be finally cancelled when officials concerned could not take a decision on resumption of this ‘yatra’ at a meeting held in New Delhi on July 23 due to prevailing adverse weather conditions. Though the KMVN has urged the Government of India for resumption of this pilgrimage now , uncertainty continues over restarting of this annual Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.
It is to note that due to poor road conditions caused by the natural calamity, the second batch of the pilgrims remained stranded in Almora for four days from June 16 and it had to return back from Almora on June 20. Though in the past too, the Kailash Mansarovar yatra had to be suspended on a few occasions, but this time the Government had to finally cancel the said ‘yatra’ even after the first batch.
However, on the one hand this natural disaster has disappointed hundreds of devotes from across the country as they could not make it to the Kailash Mansarovar, on the other it has caused a huge over Rs 3 crore loss to the KMVN following cancellation of the said pilgrimage midway. This year keeping in view people’s enthusiasm about this yatra, the Government had given permission to allow about 120 more pilgrims to go on this pilgrimage with addition of two more batches. Earlier only 16 batches i.e. 60 pilgrims in each batch, used to go on this yatra till last year.
However, with increasing number of pilgrims from this year, the travel expenses of this holy pilgrimage had also been hiked this year from Rs 27,000 per head to Rs 32,000 per head, as the officials concerned of the KMVN said. But even these aforesaid certain changes could not save the annual pilgrimage from the hands of the natural calamity. It is now upto the Central Government to decide upon resumption of this holy pilgrimage. The important destinations of this pilgrimage route that starts from Delhi include Kathgodam, Almora, Dharchula, Narayan Ashram, Sirkha, Gala, Bundi, Gunji, Nabhidhang, lipupass , Takulakot and then the holy shrine, Kailash Mansarovar.