Badrinath: Fresh on the heels of the recent Badrinath Dham donation controversy, the shrine has been hit by a new scandal involving illegal extortion for VIP access.

Under current statutory rules, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) retains the exclusive authority to establish tariffs for prayers, rituals and related temple services. However, Pramod Nautiyal, a personal assistant working within the chairman's office, allegedly circumvented these protocols to run an illicit VIP entry racket, charging worshippers ₹1,100 per head for priority access without the committee's knowledge or consent.

A massive influx of pilgrims during May and June caused queue waiting times to extend for several hours. Despite the heavy congestion, the temple committee maintained its official mandate to provide special VIP arrangements completely free of charge throughout this peak period.

However, on June 29, the unauthorised fee was levied on visitors without any formal policy proposal ever being tabled before the temple committee board.

The illicit practice quickly triggered intense opposition from the temple's legal stakeholders and officiating priests. Following their formal objections, senior administrators integrated the extortion allegations into an active departmental inquiry.
The Daily Jagran quoted BKTC vice president Kishore Panwar as saying, "No proposal regarding VIP darshan fees was discussed in the committee's board meeting. The meeting only decided to increase the puja fee."

A senior temple committee official, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that levying any administrative fee without a board resolution is a direct violation of the governing Act. The official noted that even if a new fee structure was deemed urgent, the committee could have easily convened an emergency online meeting to seek lawful approval.