Oil PSUs to redevelop Badrinath as ‘spiritual smart town’ with Rs 100 cr investment

NEW DELHI: Five state-run oil and gas majors will redevelop the Himalayan pilgrimage of Badrinath in Uttarakhand as a ‘spiritual smart hill town, at an initial investment of nearly Rs 100 crore, a move that is expected to promote tourism and create livelihood opportunities while improving visitor experience.
Flagship explorer ONGC, refiner fuel retailers IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL and gas utility GAIL on Thursday signed an MoU with Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust for the project, the oil ministry said.
The first phase of redevelopment will include river embankment work, building all-weather pathways for vehicles and new bridges, creating toilets and drinking water facilities, beautification of existing bridges, establishing ‘gurukul’ facilities with accommodation, installing street lights and general beautification with murals.
The ministry statement quoted oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan as saying the oil majors are also part of the development of Kedarnath, Uttarkashi, Yamunotri and Gangotri, all Himalayan pilgrimages in the state.
Tourism is one of the key industries, which is playing a critical role in the development of the state. Development of sites such as Badrinath would also help in attracting more tourists, which in turn would strengthen the state’s economy, Pradhan was quoted as saying.
According to the statement, chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat said Badrinath Dham has a special place in the hearts of the people of this country. “It is considered to be one of the most sacred places in our country… With the concerted efforts of both Uttarakhand government and oil and gas companies, we are hopeful of that the redevelopment will be completed within three years,” the statement quoted Rawat as saying.