Panel to be formed for changes in Char Dham board: Dhami
DEHRADUN: A day after Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was ready for positive changes in the Char Dham Devasthanam Board and announced setting up a committee to propose the changes, former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat described the formation of the board as an act of “farsightedness”.
Rawat had announced setting up of the board in November 2019 taking away management of most temples in the state from priests, evoking a strong reaction from the priest community, which claimed that government has no role in managing religion. When Rawat was replaced by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in March 2021, the demand for scrapping the board got wind and the priests re-started their protests against the board.
During his visit to the rain-affected villages in Uttarkashi district on Wednesday, Dhami said a committee will review the working of the board and he was open to changes. He made the statement amid protests by the priests of the Char Dham shrines -- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri -demanding abolishment of the board constituted on June 15 last year.
“The government is committed to solving all the issues amicably by talking to the parties concerned, including the priests. We have already been doing that, but the priests seem to have doubts that we are going to snatch their traditional rights,” Dhami said.
“I want to assure them that their all rights will be kept intact. Government only wants to assist them in improving the facilities for pilgrims in Char Dham yatra. Having said that, we are in favour of any positive amendments in the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board.”
The CM said the committee, to be formed soon, will speak to the parties concerned on the issues raised on the board. “Based on the recommendations of the committee, action will be taken by the government.”
Former CM Rawat said, “We formed the Devasthanam Board, but some people have been protesting against it. But it is my firm belief that the board is good for the state.”
Citing the reasons behind formation of the board, he presented income figures of some of the country’s famous shrines.
“Tirupati Balaji Devasthanam’s annual earning is ₹1,140 crore, that of Padmanabh Swami shrine is ₹950 crore and Shridi Sai Baba shrine earns ₹700 crore annually. All have their own management boards. On the other hand, the annual income of Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines is ₹15 crore and that of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines is ₹6 crore. Other major shrines’ incomes have risen because of better management by their boards. The same thing would be done by Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board,” said Rawat.
“Major shrines who have their management boards are running medical colleges, management colleges and universities. We want similar development for the Char Dham shrines too.”
The former CM claimed that after the formation of the Devasthanam Board, many Hindus living abroad now “want to visit Char Dham shrines and make donations. The facilities needed for them can’t be developed by the existing temple committees but can be done by the board.”
He said, “People will see the results of the Devasthanam Board after 4-5 years. Then, those who are protesting against the board will praise me saying what has been done is right.”
The opposition Congress alleged that the government is working on its “whim” on the Devasthanam Board.
“It is going to be two years since the formation of the board, but the government failed to tell people what improvement will the board bring in facilities in Char Dham yatra and how will the state benefit from it,” former CM and present Congress national general secretary Harish Rawat said.
“If just for increasing income from the shrines, traditions are being changed by the formation of the board, then it is not justified. The reasoning behind the board formation should be making the yatra comfortable for the pilgrims and protecting the rights of locals. But the government is not thinking about these; it’s just operating on its whim.”
He suggested improvement in the functioning of the existing temple committees. “Doing this will improve the facilities for the pilgrims. I have failed to understand what revolutionary change has the board brought so far in the Char Dham yatra.”