PM satisfied with beautification work at Kedarnath shrine

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed satisfaction with the beautification work under way at Kedarnath and also offered a few suggestions for improving things over there.

Modi made these suggestions while carrying out inspection of the work through video conference with state officials led by Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh.

According to the officials, the Prime Minister suggested that a meditation centre should be established at Kedarnath and similar arrangements should also be made at a cave nearby, which is sought after by hermits and pilgrims.

He also called for designing an APP which would provide information about Kedarnath to the pilgrims in different languages as they moved between Gaurikund and Kedarnath.

The Chief Secretary later told media persons that he was satisfied with the work underway at Kedarnath. “The images taken by Drone were also shown to the Prime Minister during the video conference. He was apprised about the current position of the temple podium whose area has been expanded from 1,500 sq meter to 4,125 sq meter. Arrangements have made in such a way that the temple is visible from far-off,” he said.

Further, the construction of a 470 meter protection wall around Saraswati river and construction of another protection wall measuring 380 meter is still underway.

Singh also said that a trust had been set up for carrying out beautification work and around Rs 10 crore have been deposited under CSR fund by various organizations. The money would be used for carrying out beautification works at Kedarnath.

He also said that an old guest house owned by the GMVN had been converted into a 10-bed hospital.

On April 28, a day before the temple portals are thrown open to the public, a laser show would be held depicting the history of Kedarnath shrine. Then onwards, it would be shown at the temple site for a week.