In a major breakthrough in the protracted impasse between the Uttarakhand Government and Teerth Purohits on the issue of Char Dham Devasthanam Management board and start of Char Dham Yatra, the Teerth Purohits have suspended their agitation till October 30 after meeting Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday.
A delegation of the Teerth Purohits, stakeholder Mahapanchayat Samiti met Dhami at his residence on Saturday morning. Talking to the delegation, the CM said that the Char Dhams are the centre of the faith and the Government is working in the direction of strengthening the infrastructure facilities in the temples. He assured them that the Government was trying to start the Char Dham Yatra.
Dhami categorically said that the traditional rights of the stakeholders would not be allowed to be affected. He said that the high-level committee would submit its report to the Government after listening to the Teerth Purohits. Dhami said that two Purohits, each from all the four Dhams, would be included in the committee.
He said that the State Government would take an appropriate decision after the committee submits its report.
Later talking to the media, convener of the Mahapanchayat Suresh Semwal said that the CM has assured them that eight members of the Teerth Purohits would be included in the high-powered committee and the Government would take a decision based on the report of this committee. Semwal said that the Mahapanchayat has decided to suspend its agitation till October 30. Semwal thanked the CM for taking up their matter seriously.
Mahapanchayat Samiti member Umesh Sati said that interaction with the CM took place in a positive environment.
He said that everyone is hopeful the issue would be sorted out by the talks. Sati added that the agitation has been suspended till October 30 and a decision on the future of the agitation would be taken assessing the decision taken by the Government on the issue.
The Cabinet Ministers Arvind Pandey and Ganesh Joshi, secretary Shailesh Bagauli, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Devasthanam Board, Ravi Nath Raman, secretary H C Semwal, and ACEO of Devasthanam Board, B D Singh, were also present on the occasion.