Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the officials to start preparation for the 2025 pilgrimage immediately

Uttarakhand: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed authorities to start planning for the 2025 Char Dham Yatra as soon as possible after the 2024 event in Uttarakhand ended successfully.

The Chief Minister has directed authorities to give the establishment of the Yatra Authority first priority and to start preparing for the next season, given that the yatra is one of the main foundations of the state’s economy.

In order to guarantee that visitors, particularly those traveling from neighboring states, have simple access to thorough information, CM Dhami has also emphasized the need for updating the tourism website.

“The Yatra Authority should be established as soon as possible to plan the yatra in addition to publicizing it. All stakeholders’ opinions should be taken into account. According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s office, “the Tourism Department’s website must be improved to provide all relevant information about the journey for the convenience of pilgrims and tourists from outside the state.”

Usually opening in April or May and shutting in October or November, the state’s four dhams—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath—remain closed for almost half a year.

In order to ensure that both locals and tourists can travel easily, the Chief Minister also gave authorities instructions to fix internal routes in addition to the major highways that were damaged in recent catastrophes.

The Chief Minister also spoke about getting ready for the next National Games, which would be held from January 28 to February 14, 2025. He emphasized the importance of the games to the state and mandated that the Chief Secretary lead weekly evaluation sessions.

Chief Secretary Radha Raturi called the 38th National Games a challenge as well as a great opportunity on November 8 and urged authorities to complete preparations as soon as possible. In order to provide long-term advantages for young and aspiring sportsmen, Raturi emphasized the need to raise the state’s sports infrastructure to international levels.