‘Not against Kohli as brand ambassador’

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 6

Tourism Minister Dinesh Dhanai today said he was not against the appointment of cricketer Virat Kohli as the brand ambassador for Uttarakhand to promote tourism. However, the minister said he should have been informed about the move by senior officials of the ministry.

Dhanai said Virat’s name was yet to be announced officially. The Tourism Ministry would be sending a proposal to him in a day or two.

Dhanai said the state was all set for the Char Dham Yatra. He said road repair work had been completed in the higher reaches.

He said the owners of five buildings, which obstruct the view of the temple, had been taken into confidence and a memorandum of understanding had been signed for the demolition drive. They would be adequately compensated.

The minister said 2,500 to 3,000 pilgrims would be allowed at the Kedarnath shrine at one time. He said this had been done to regulate the pilgrims’ flow.

Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma and senior tourism official Umakant Panwar were present on the occasion.