Kedarnath, Feb 27 (IANS): Amid the news of a prescribed dress code, ban on Dakshina and mobile phones being spread amongst the devotees, the president of the Badri Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) Ajendra Ajay has clarified and termed the news as misleading.

To make the arrangements for the Char Dham Yatra more accessible and convenient for the devotees, the BKTC had sent a team to study four major temples of the country. On the basis of that report, efforts are being made to improve the arrangements at Badrinath and Kedarnath, Ajay said.

He said that rumours are being spread about banning Dakshina in the Yatra which are entirely baseless.

The report submitted by the team is being discussed and the temple committee will not interfere in any way with Dakshina as it is the right of the Tirtha Purohit and the Pandits.

Ajay added that the staff in the temples are salaried employees who will not take any money from the devotees, instead donation boxes will be installed in the temples.

He assured that the devotees will not be pressured for the donations and it is solely a matter of faith.

On the matter of implementation of a certain dress code, Ajay said that the prescribed dress code will only be implemented for the salaried employees of the Committee after due discussion, for easier identification and access to help and information by the authorised people.

Regarding banning YouTube and mobile phones during the Yatra, Ajay said that no decision had been taken about this and it is still being discussed.

He added that an SOP would soon be issued regarding Darshan during the Char Dham Yatra.