Despite the Garhwal Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Pushpak Jyoti meeting senior police officers regarding the ongoing pilgrimage to the four shrines of the State and exhorting them at every meeting to gear up to face challenges coming in the way of the pilgrimage, the police officers at the top have failed to provide the data of casualties and number of accidents that occurred during the Char Dham Yatra so far this year and that of last year when asked by this correspondent. Observers say that this is a sorry state of things with the senior cops seemingly directing their sub-ordinates to curb accidents on the route without having studied the fact and figures themselves.
Things are indeed alarming with accidents occurring almost daily, taking toll of the pilgrims’ lives. Viewed against the backdrop of the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat having made a safe and successful pilgrimage an acid test of his government’s performance, the State police top brass showing apathy for a deeper study of the mishaps to pinpoint the lacuna leading to the rising number of mishaps indeed presents a pathetic scenario.
While pressed for the accident figures of this year and last year involving the pilgrimage by this correspondent, Jyoti said nonchalantly that he is yet to study or analyse the data on casualties and accidents of the last year and this year.