Uttarakhand cabinet gives nod to bill repealing Char Dham Devasthanam Act

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], December 6 : The Uttarakhand government on Monday informed that the state cabinet has given its nod to bring a bill in the Assembly for repeal of the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board Act.
Earlier, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the withdrawal of the said law after months of protests by Char Dham Teerth-Purohit Hak Hakookdhari Mahapanchayat Samiti and other organisations.
Last December, the Uttarakhand Assembly had passed the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board Bill. The law aimed at bringing the Char Dham of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and 49 other temples under the purview of a proposed shrine board.
Many organisations including Char Dham Teerth-Purohit Hak Hakookdhari Mahapanchayat Samiti were opposing the Act. According to the temple priests, their rights are being played due to the formation of this board.
Mahapanchayat in its meeting on November 20 had decided to organise a sit-in protest against the Devasthanam Act at worship places of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham.
Kedarnath Teerth Purohit Samaj had earlier claimed that the then Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat had assured to reconsider the board.
The agitation against the board has been going for 21 months.