Chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about preparations for the international day for Yoga and status of Kedarnath reconstruction works.
The chief secretary informed the prime minister that both on-line and off-line registration have been started for the public Yoga programme to be held at Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun on the occasion. Different committees have been formed for organising the programme. About 1,000 buses have been arranged in order to bring and take back people to and from the programme venue. The route chart has been prepared for this purpose and a control room has been set up at IRDT. Two-week training is being organised at various locations in Dehradun and Haridwar for those taking part in the programme. Singh also informed Modi that a curtain raiser had been organised on Thursday and that a considerable number of noted Yoga Gurus and prominent persons too had participated in it.
Informing the prime minister about the Kedarnath reconstruction works, Singh said that the courtyard of the shrine had been expanded from 1500 square metres to 4125 square metres. An open view of the temple is now visible from the confluence of the Mandakini and Saraswati rivers about 270 metres away. The route from this site to ths shrine has been widened to 50 feet and ducts are being constructed on both sides of the path for cables and drainage. Safety walls of 470 metres along the Saraswati and 380 metres along the Mandakini are being constructed. Singh further informed that a website shrikedarnathcharitabletrust.uk.gov.in has also been launched on the subject of Kedarnath reconstruction. Further, free Wi-Fi facility is being provided at Kedarnath and major halts on the pilgrimage for which 10 sector antennas have been set up. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam has started digital transactions. In addition to this about six tonnes of rubber mat received from the Alang ship breaking yard in Gujarat has also been laid at various sites for the convenience of the pilgrims.