Oil and Gas public sector units (PSUs) namely IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL have signed Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) with Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust for Construction and Redevelopment of Badrinath Dham as a spiritual smart hill town.
As per the MoUs, the Oil and Gas companies will be contributing Rs 99.60 crore in the first phase of the developmental activities. The first phase will include river embankment work, building all-terrain vehicular path, building bridges, beautifying existing bridges, establishing gurukul facilities with accommodation, creating toilet and drinking water facilities, installing streetlights, mural paintings etc.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that Char Dham is close to millions of Indians, due to spiritual, religious and cultural reasons. The Oil and Gas PSUs will not only contribute to the development work of the Badrinath but are also part of the development of Kedarnath, Uttarkashi, Yamunotri and Gangotri.
He said, “Today's event is a significant milestone in the direction of Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of developing Badrinath shrine as a mini smart and spiritual city, without compromising on the religious sanctity and mythological importance of the region."
Lauding the efforts of Oil and Gas PSUs in developing the facilities, Pradhan said, "I am glad that Oil and Gas PSUs of this nation have come forward to realise the vision of developing BadrinathDham into a Smart Spiritual Town. Tourism is one of the key industries, which is playing a critical role in the development of the state. Development of the sites like Badrinath would also help in attracting more tourists, which in turn would strengthen the economy of the state."
Addressing on the occasion, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Tirath Singh Rawat said, " With the concerted efforts of both Uttarakhand Government and Oil & Gas PSUs, we are hopeful of that the rejuvenation work of Shri Badrinath Dham will be completed within a span of three-year time."
The MoUs were signed in the presence of the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Tirath Singh Rawat; Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan; Tourism Minister of Uttarakhand Satpal Maharaj; Secretary, MoPNG Tarun Kapoor; Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand Om Prakash; and senior officers of the MoPNG, Uttarakhand Government and Oil and Gas PSUs.
