PATIALA, July 10, 2013: An Uttarakhand-based Sikh trust has asked the state government to allot them land to set up a base camp at Govind Ghat for the pilgrims en-route to Hemkund Sahib. 

Members of Shri Hemkund Sahib Management Trust (SHSMT) met Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and urged him to allot land at earliest. 

The immediate request from SHSMT came after the Uttarakhand government banned any kind of construction on the banks of the river in the state in a recent order. 

"We have asked the Chief Minister that to restart the Yatra we have to rebuild the 'langar' hall (community kitchen), store to keep ration for at least two months, sarai (inn) for the convenience of pilgrims, parking space for their vehicles and other places which were washed away by the floods," SHSMT vice chairman Narinderjit Singh Bindra told PTI over telephone. 

Keeping the change of course of river Alakananda and restrictions in the mind we urgently need an alternative land for the base camp, he said. 

About seven kilometres of trek route from Govind Ghat to Govind Dham in village Pulna and Bhyunder was completely destroyed and we had to adopt another routes in the jungles, Bindra said. 

The Chief Minister has assured us that a team of Geological Survey of India would visit and survey Govind Ghat, Govind Dham and Hemkund Sahib areas and based on their report, land would be allotted and necessary action taken, he said.

Source: The Economic Times, DT. July 10, 2013.