Uttarakhand govt sanctions Rs 90 crore for Raj Jat Yatra

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today said that the state government has sanctioned Rs 90 crore for the preparations of Nanda Devi Raj Jat yatra, held once every 12 years in the hills of Chamoli district.
Bahuguna, who reviewed the preparations for the religious event in the far-off Lohjang area in the district, said the amount should be spent on creating various facilities for devotees like roads, drinking water and parking lots on the yatra route.
Raj Jat Yatra, a 19-day trek in hilly terrain in Chamoli and Pithoragarh districts of Uttarakhand symbolises the passage of Nanda Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Parvati to her in-laws in the Himalayas, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva and draws a large number of devotees from all over the country.

The chief minister, who made an aerial survey of the region along with Tourism Minister Amrita Rawat directed the officials concerned to speed up preparations.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar said a lot of work was in progress and asked the commissioners and DMs of the districts concerned to make a weekly review of the preparations for the yatra beginning in August.
Principal Secretary Rakesh Sharma said support from ITBP would be taken to create routes in the remote areas.