Kedarnath VIP Hospitality Probe Finds Financial Irregularities; Uttarakhand Govt Orders Action Against Officials

Dehradun: An inquiry into spending on VIP lodging and meals at Kedarnath has revealed irregularities, leading the Uttarakhand government to direct disciplinary action against the officials and staff deemed responsible.

The inquiry was launched by the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) after Right to Information (RTI) documents raised questions about whether temple funds were used to provide hospitality to VIP visitors, as reported by The New Indian Express.

BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi told reporters that the investigation is complete and its report has been submitted to the state government. “The investigation has been completed and its findings have been submitted to the state government. The government has directed action against the officials responsible,” he said.

The RTI records reportedly show about Rs 60,000 recorded as expenditure for BJP state secretary Neha Joshi and over Rs 37,000 tied to Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal. These amounts are said to relate to lodging and meals during visits to the shrine. Both politicians have denied the charges and said they paid their own bills.

As opposition parties raised concerns that donations and offerings might have been misused, Dwivedi formed a four-member committee to scrutinise bills, records and payment procedures connected to the alleged hospitality spending. The committee found instances in which the temple committee had settled bills for VIP guests, and concluded that prescribed financial rules were not fully followed during payment processing.

In a June 25, 2026, letter, Deputy Secretary Anil Kumar Pandey asked the BKTC chief executive officer to take action as per government rules. The letter stated: “Prima facie, the release of advance money withdrawn from the temple fund without approval from the competent authority falls within the category of financial irregularity.” It also raised questions about the conduct of the then Kedarnath administrator, the then officer in charge at Kedarnath and the then BKTC chief executive officer.

Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal has called for transparent proceedings and strict penalties for anyone found culpable. Dwivedi said the report will be used to fix responsibility and that steps will be taken to prevent future misuse of temple funds or practices that could undermine devotees’ faith.