Haridwar Kumbh in 2021 to be numerically restricted: Trivendra Singh Rawat

The 2021 Haridwar Kumbh will be held with a restriction on the number of people congregating for the event, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Friday.

"Passes will be issued to devotees as the congregation will be numerically restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic," Rawat told reporters here at a virtual interaction.

Rawat said he had discussed the matter with saints and seers and they were in agreement with the idea of reducing the scale of the event numerically owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

"A numerically restricted Kumbh makes it necessary that devotees are allowed entry into the Kumbh fair on the basis of passes," Rawat said.

It will be for the first time in the history of Kumbh Mela that passes will be issued to devotees for entry to the religious congregation, arguably the largest of its kind in the world.

The chief minister who was interacting with the media on completing three and a half years in office also said the limit of 5.5 metres imposed recently by the Supreme Court on the width of the Chardham all weather road was not enough from the strategic point of view.

"From the strategic or national security point of view we can't make do with a 5.5 metre wide all weather road which passes through several border districts located in the hills. The smooth movement of troops by a road with this kind of limit is not possible," Rawat said.

The chief minister said he had drawn the attention of the Centre to this aspect of the apex court's order and emphasised on the indispensability of a wider all weather road.

Rawat described the constitution of the Chardham Devasthanam Management Board as the biggest reformative step taken during the last 3.5 years.

"The board has been constituted after a lot of thinking and everyone including tourists, visitors and teerth-purohits are bound to benefit from the decision," he said.

Rawat also highlighted the declaration of Gairsain as the summer capital of the state as a major achievement of his government as it fulfils a long cherished aspiration of the people who fought for statehood.

"By declaring Gairsain the summer capital we have proved that we are a decisive government capable of resolving issues hanging fire for long," Rawat said.

"In the last three and a half years we have accelerated development by delivering a blow to corruption and giving a clean and transparent government to people," he said.