Realising that in the next 10 days, the BJP is going to make an election issue of last year's Uttarakhand disaster which had created havoc in the State and later more than one lakh people including pilgrims were rescued from the disaster-affected areas, State Chief Minister Harish Rawat has categorically asked officials concerned to complete road repair works and reconstruction work along Char Dham Yatra circuit within stipulated time period. To review the ground situation ahead of reopening of Char Dham , chief secretary Subhash Kumar is going to visit Kedarnath and Badrinath on Friday.
Talking to The Pioneer, State BJP senior leader and leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha, Ajay Bhatt alleged that the State Government is misguiding the nation by saying that they have made all arrangements to start this year's Char Dham Yatra as per schedule. He further alleged that Congress-led State Government has failed to complete reconstruction works because they were busy in infighting due to factionalism within Congress and now they are shedding crocodile tears. Sources said that Government has built roads by collecting debris, but they have not made safety wall, which protect the road when the area gets inundated due to heavy rain or cloudburst, so chances are very bleak for its long life.
On condition of anonymity, an official, who is deployed for reconstruction work in disaster-affected areas, said that since change of guard in the State, rebuilding of infrastructure especially in en-route leading to Char Dham has expedited, but no efforts were made in areas away from Char Dham."As you know that the State Government can't make all arrangements like basic amenities including shelter and food at their own level, so we need local support as well. Currently, local inhabitants, who were affected due to disaster, are yet to get their relief and compensation from the State."
Recently, chief secretary Subhash Kumar had visited Rudrapryag to review the ground situation. Thereafter, the State Government decided to open a division of irrigation department, to establish three hot mixing plants and diverted 50 personnel from each divisions of PWD. Even they released `12 crore for the reconstruction of an alternative route to Kedarnath between Guptkashi and Mayali which will be operational soon.
It would interesting to know that when the highway leading to Kedarnath was badly damaged in the calamity, it was Guptkashi-Mayali route thorugh which stranded pilgrims were evacuated to safer places. Most of them have reached to the venue but has created uproar because they diverted such manpower without planning. Taking cognisance on the ground situation they sent machines and manpower but no use due to lack of planning.