With the Char Dham Yatra set to begin shortly, the Uttarakhand government has launched an extensive verification drive targeting vendors, street hawkers and slumdwellers, as part of heightened security preparations.
At a high-level meeting held Monday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed all district magistrates and senior officials to expedite the verification process. The Chief Minister also warned that landlords failing to verify their tenants would face legal action.
Dhami emphasised that individuals residing in temporary settlements, as well as street vendors and street hawkers, must be verified without delay. He also called for strict action against officials found issuing official documents such as ration cards, Aadhaar, Ayushman cards, and electricity connections to ineligible beneficiaries. The district authorities were directed to assign departmental officers to conduct the verification drives.
Meanwhile, in Dehradun, the police have already begun verifying over 800 “outsiders”, taking action against 162 building and shop owners for not adhering to tenant verification protocols. As part of the drive, 44 suspects were fined ₹14,000 under Section 81 of the Police Act, and 130 individuals were brought in for questioning.
All station in-charges were instructed to launch a campaign in their respective jurisdictions to verify and apprehend suspects “in view of maintaining security and public order”. The CM had earlier said the drive will be to crack down on “foreign infiltrators”.
The Chief Minister Monday said robust security arrangements must be ensured at all religious and tourist sites, with special focus on the Char Dham Yatra. District magistrates were instructed to conduct regular monitoring of security measures in their respective districts. CM Dhami also directed that immediate action be taken against individuals or groups spreading fake news through various platforms, particularly during the Char Dham Yatra and “in other sensitive matters”.
“Accurate and verified information must be regularly disseminated through all channels by the district administration,” he said. In the wake of the yatra, it has been directed that attention be given to forest fire management, with strict action against those found responsible for causing forest fires.
A statement by the government said that instructions were given to ensure smooth traffic management and road maintenance during the Char Dham Yatra.
“Priority is to be given to local horse and mule operators for the pilgrimage. Cleanliness, beautification, and provision of basic facilities along the yatra routes must be ensured. Officials were also instructed to check rate lists along the travel routes and ensure there are no complaints of overpricing,” it said.
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