U''khand seeks funds for expansion of Ganga ghats

Dehradun, May 27

The Uttarakhand Government has demanded funds from the Centre to expand and beautify Ganga ghats in Haridwar, including 'Har ki Pauri', where devotees converge in large numbers on religious occasions.

Expansion of the ghats is necessary to deal with the huge crowd of devotees which gather there from across the country and abroad on all festivals which require a ritual bath apart from Kumbh and ardhakumbh, State Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik said.

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With the pressure on just a few ghats like Har ki Pauri, some additional ghats need to be developed to accommodate the growing number of devotees, he said.

"We have sought an assistance of Rs 10 crore from the Centre for the purpose which will be spent on expansion and beautification of the existing ghats besides strengthening public amenities along the banks and developing some new ghats which have not been developed properly," he said.

The demand was made when Kaushik met Union Minister of State for Water resources Sanjiv Baliyan in New Delhi recently, he said. —PTI