Dehradun, Mar 10 (PTI) In his first decision after taking over as the chief minister of Uttarakhand, Tirath Singh Rawat on Wednesday issued orders to shower Kumbh Mela pilgrims with flowers from helicopters on the occasion of Mahashivratri on Thursday.

At a meeting with senior officials, Rawat, who was sworn in as the new chief minister on Wednesday evening, said while necessary precautions must be taken, it should also be ensured that devotees are not inconvenienced in any way.

"The visitors should be able to take a holy dip in the Ganga conveniently. The honour of seers is paramount. A grand and divine Kumbh should be ensured," he said.

"We have to work together for the development of the state. People's representatives and officials have a big role to play in this. All of us should discharge our duties with full dedication," Rawat said.

Apart from senior officials, including Chief Secretary Om Prakash and Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, state BJP president and MLA Bansidhar Bhagat attended the meeting.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)