aShri Badrinath Dham, one of the four holy Himalayan shrines in Uttarakhand, will be developed as a "Spiritual Smart Hill Town".

The oil and gas public sector undertakings (PSUs) including IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL have signed memoranda of understandings (MoUs) with Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust for construction and redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham as a Spiritual Smart Hill Town.

The MoUs were signed in the presence of Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat.

As per the MoUs, the oil and gas PSUs will be contributing Rs 99.60 crore in the first phase of the developmental activities, including 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, a statement by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said on Thursday (6 May).

Speaking on the occasion, 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, the statement said.

He said, “Today's event is a significant milestone in the direction of 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 Badrinath Dham 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, Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat said, "I congratulate Union Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and oil and gas PSUs for extending their supports for this noble initiative".

"Shri 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, and the developmental activities are much needed to provide the best of facilities to the pilgrims from across the country," 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 Uttarkhand CM added.