Char Dham priests protest Uttarakhand govt's decision to form Devasthanam Board

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], September 6 : Char Dham priests have submitted a letter to Uttarakhand government, protesting against the formation of Devasthanam Board without consulting 61 other temples.
They have also urged the State government to complete the beautification of the Kedarnath Dham the earliest.
"We protest the State government's decision to form the Devasthanam Board without taking shrine priests of 61 other temples into confidence," said the letter submitted to State Chief Secretary Om Prakash on Saturday.
Urging the government to complete beautification of Kedarnath Dham at the earliest, it said, "We request to the State government to complete the beautification of the Kedarnath Dham at the earliest and widen the road connecting it. It must also repair the houses damaged in 2013 floods as promised."
"After the natural disaster, locals as well as priests shared more properties/land to the State government then asked for the beautification of the Kedarnath Dham. However now, neither locals, not shrine priests are ready to share their land or properties in the name of Master Plan," the letter added.
Earlier on July 21, the Uttarakhand High Court dismissed two pleas, one of which was filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, challenging the validity of the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Act, 2019.