New Delhi / Dehradun (The Hawk): Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. On this occasion, the Chief Minister presented the Prime Minister with products based on the copper craft from Bageshwar and materials prepared by women self-help groups in Uttarakhand. The Prime Minister appreciated the hard work of the women in the state and expressed gratitude.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister that, following the Prime Minister's appeal, a large number of people from India and abroad are booking weddings in Uttarakhand. He stated that this trend, attributed to Uttarakhand being promoted as a wedding destination after the Prime Minister's appeal, will create employment opportunities for the people of the state. Additionally, an investment of 150 crores has been received for the development of wedding destinations in Uttarakhand.
While presenting the materials, the Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to expedite the work being carried out by the Border Roads Organization in the Karnprayag-Gwaldam road, which includes the development of the 189 km Kathgodam-Bhimtal, Dhyanachuli-Moranola-Khetikhan-Lohaghat-Pancheswar motor road as a national highway. He also requested approval for an investment of 1,000 crores for connecting 20 routes under the Manaskhand Temple Garland Project.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need to upgrade the routes connecting Garhwal and Kumaon regions to encourage tourists and pilgrims visiting the state for the Char Dham Yatra to also explore the Manaskhand temples.
The Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister that under the Manaskhand Temple Garland Mission, development work has begun in 16 out of 48 identified ancient temples. A master plan of 150 crores has been prepared for Jageshwar Dham. The Chief Minister also requested the operation of the 'Bharat Gaurav Manaskhand Express' train from various locations in the country to Kathgodam and Tanakpur railway stations for the promotion of Manaskhand temples.
For the development of the Purnagiri Dham in the Kumaon region under the Manaskhand Temple Garland Mission, a plan is underway, and a master plan is being prepared for the famous Kainchi Dham. The village of Gunji in Pithoragarh, located near the Adi Kailash area, is being developed as an international tourism destination. A master plan has been created based on the 'Shiv Nagari' theme, which includes six components: art, culture, skill, knowledge, meditation, and relaxation.
The Chief Minister also shared plans to develop the Haridwar-Rishikesh Ganga Corridor on the lines of Kashi-Vishwanath. This initiative will be carried out by the newly formed Uttarakhand Investment and Basic Infrastructure Board (UIIDB). Additionally, seven heliports are proposed to be established in Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts in PPP mode to boost tourism in the state.
To promote local products, the Chief Minister inaugurated the 'House of Himalayas' as an umbrella brand for processing, packaging, and branding Uttarakhand's products. The initial phase includes the shortlisting of products such as millets, rajma, mountain lentils, red rice, haldi, mountain salt, honey, aromatic and herbal tea, Nainital candles, and appan for branding under the House of Himalayas.
In the first phase, a focus will be on the branding of all GI products from the state under the House of Himalayas brand.
The Chief Minister stated that in the roadmap for the rapid development of the state in the next five years, the goal is to double the GSDP of the state. Extensive growth has been proposed in the foundational framework of the state to achieve this goal, attracting investments primarily in areas like industrialization, service sector (with a focus on tourism as a key element), agriculture, forestry, and education. This is expected to lead to a rapid growth in the demand for electricity in the near future.
Due to delays in the construction of hydroelectric projects in the state, there is a continuous increase in the gap between electricity demand and availability in the state, primarily due to environmental reasons. The Chief Minister requested a permanent allocation of 400 megawatts of additional electricity from coal-based plants in the central pool to meet the growing demand.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the rivers flowing in the Pithoragarh region, namely Dhauliganga and Gauriganga, which are different from the Ganga and its tributaries within the state. Approvals for hydropower projects in these areas, namely Baukang Baling (330 megawatts) and Selaurtherig (202 megawatts), were also requested from the Prime Minister.
He informed the Prime Minister that the development of 44 hydropower projects with a total capacity of about 4800 MW in the Ganga and its tributaries has been stalled since August 13, 2013, due to decisions made by the Ministry of Environment and Forests after the disaster in June 2013. The state has to annually spend around ?1000 crore to purchase power from the open market to meet its energy needs, putting additional burden on the financial resources of the hilly state.
To fulfill the increasing energy needs of the state, the Chief Minister emphasized the urgent need to take positive action for the construction of proposed projects in other river valleys. Additionally, he requested the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, to provide permission for the speedy development and construction of projects located on other river ghats beyond the Ganga and its tributaries in Uttarakhand.
The Chief Minister also informed the Prime Minister about the plan to develop four new townships in the state, two in mountainous regions and two in plain areas, as part of the urbanization efforts. Subsidies ranging from 5% to 10% are being provided as top-ups on investments in various sectors under the Ayush Policy-2023 and State Tourism Policy-2023.
He discussed the Uttarakhand State Millet Mission for the years 2023-24 to 2027-28, which aims to promote cooperative development projects in the state for joint cooperative farming, silage, poultry valley, goat valley, dairy production, trout farming, mushroom production, honey production, etc.
The Chief Minister concluded by highlighting the continuous development in the state's Ease of Doing Business, investment promotion, and startup sectors as directed by the Prime Minister. He mentioned the establishment of a five-sector industrial/business alley as part of the national program, and the construction of an IT park in Dehradun, among other initiatives.
Additionally, he informed the Prime Minister about the development of food parks, IT parks, and educational cities in different locations across the state. The state government is also working on specific initiatives to ground the agreements made during the Investor Summit. An online portal for monitoring MOUs (Memorandums of Understanding) has been prepared, and three food parks have been proposed in the state.
The Chief Minister expressed gratitude for the support and guidance provided by the Prime Minister and conveyed the state government's commitment to achieving rapid, inclusive, and sustainable development in Uttarakhand.
