Uttarakhand to withdraw SLP on Char Dham from SC

Uttarakhand government has decided to withdraw a special leave petition (SLP) filed in the Supreme Court against the High Court order staying the Char Dham Yatra while reversing a state cabinet's decision to open it partially for residents of three districts from July 1.

Dehradun: Uttarakhand government has decided to withdraw a special leave petition (SLP) filed in Supreme Court against the High Court order staying the Char Dham Yatra while reversing a state cabinet's decision to open it partially for residents of three districts from July 1.

As no hearing has been conducted on the matter in the SC, the state government decided to withdraw the SLP filed against the High Court decision.

On July 6, the state government had filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the High Court order.

On Tuesday, Advocate General SN Babulkar and Chief Standing Advocate Chandrashekhar Rawat, appearing before the division bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma, orally requested to lift the ban on Char Dham Yatra by stating that the livelihood of thousands of people is dependent on it.

The Bench said, "as long as the matter is in the Supreme Court, the High Court cannot consider lifting the stay."

Earlier, the High Court on June 28 has stayed the Char Dham Yatra citing lack of adequate preparations to control COVID-19 infection.

The state government had filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the stay orders of the HC.

The Char Dham Yatra, which includes a visit to the Kedarnath temple, attracts lakhs of tourists and devotees every year from across the country and abroad.

Read:Uttarakhand govt approaches HC seeks resumption of Chardham Yatra