Rumours doing rounds about non-veg food being served at govt guest houses: Uttarakhand minister

Uttarakhand minister Satpal Maharaj on Friday said that rumours were being circulated about non-vegetarian food being served at the guest houses and other facilities of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, a state government enterprise.

Dismissing the rumours, he said these were the result of "professional competition".

"It's unfortunate that some people are spreading such rumours. I want to assure all the pilgrims, including those undertaking the Char Dham Yatra, that no such thing happened. No non-vegetarian food is served at GMVN facilities," he said.

The minister said that under the 'Swadesh Darshan' scheme, the Tourism Ministry has provided Rs 20 crore for integrated development of the heritage circuit in the Kumaon region that comprises Katarmal, Jogeshwar, Devidhura, and Baijnath.

Rs 5 crore has been allocated to the state to implement the 'Prasad' scheme, he said.

Several pilgrim centres in the country, including Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, have been identified for development under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD).

"I want to thank the Union tourism minister for this big amount which will help in developing tourism in Uttarakhand," Maharaj told reporters. He said that Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat has taken stock of the problems caused due to the closure of the Char Dham Yatra routes because of rains.

"Equipment have been deployed to clear the routes blocked by avalanches due to heavy rains. We have also issued warnings about threat of avalanches. If pilgrims remain cautious, the yatra will conclude successfully," he said.