Himachal, Uttarakhand seek Modi's favour over Mansarovar route

SHIMLA: While the Uttarakhand government is opposing the opening of alternate route to Kailash Mansarovar, former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding to open the Kinnaur route to the holy lake in China at the earliest.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue of opening an alternate route for the pilgrimage with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the recently concluded BRICS summit, people in Himachal Pradesh had welcomed the development as the only alternate route to the lake passes through Kinnaur district.
Sources said that opening of Kailash-Mansarovar route from Kinnaur would further boost tourism in the state and would generate new employment opportunity, especially for those residing in the tribal district. They said that currently entire pilgrimage through Uttarakhand is completed in 26 days, but with the opening of Kinnaur route it would be completed in 22 days.
Uttrarakhand government, on the other side, is not happy with the development as chief minister Harish Rawat has reportedly opposed the move claiming that passage from Uttarakhand to Mansarovar has historical and religious significance. Rawat has also written a letter to Modi on the issue, opposing the move.
But now in his letter written to Modi, Dhumal has informed Modi that the route from Kinnaur to Mansarovar is not only short but also safer.
"Alternate route from Kinnaur is shorter and safer. From Pooh in Kinnaur it would take 4.30 hours to reach Shipkila border and beyond that China has already constructed better roads inside its territory. Pilgrimage through Kinnaur would not only be convenient but would also save time," he added.