Following a virtual meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami convened a meeting with senior officials at his residence and called for “robust security in all border areas of the state and strict surveillance on any suspicious activity in frontier regions”.
Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi and Chamoli share their borders with China while Champawat and Udham Singh border Nepal. Pithoragarh shares its borders with both countries.
According to a government statement, the CM stressed that security measures along the yatra route of all four pilgrimage sites should be activated amid the ongoing Char Dham Yatra for which lakhs of pilgrims have registered.
In the high-level meeting held at the CM’s residence, the discussion was also on key establishments, dams, and power plants in Uttarakhand, and he asked the administration, government departments, and police to remain on high alert.
“Necessary steps should be taken to secure national-level institutions located in Uttarakhand. Supplies of essential goods, including food grains, should be maintained at district and tehsil levels to ensure readiness in case of any emergency. Hospitals should remain on alert, and arrangements for all essential medicines must be ensured,” the statement quoted him as saying.
He added that civil defence groups and voluntary organisations should be trained in relief and rescue operations.
The Chief Minister laid emphasis on the importance of disseminating accurate and verified information to the public to prevent panic and misinformation. He called for strict action against those spreading rumours and instructed authorities to closely monitor social media for such activities. In light of the current situation, Dhami also ordered that, except under unavoidable circumstances, employee leaves should not be approved. He asked all District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to review security arrangements in their respective areas.
