E-Paper
Pushkar Dhami seeks PM Modi’s help to give stalled hydel projects a hard push
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he requested PM Modi to convene a meeting of agencies concerned so that the state’s 44 hydel power projects can be started
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Tuesday and requested him to call a meeting of the ministries and stakeholders concerned so that the work on the stalled hydel power projects in the state can be started.
Dhami said there is immense potential in the state when it comes to hydel power. “When the state was formed (in 2000), developing hydel power in the state was the central point for the economic development of the state. But over the last few years, there has been not much progress on this issue due to Supreme Court directions and a lack of coordination between the ministries concerned. So, I requested the PM to convene a meeting at the PMO level so that these 44 hydel power projects can be started,” he said after meeting PM Modi at his Parliament House office.
Dhami said he also urged PM Modi that benefits of the Bharat Net scheme under phase two should be provided to 600 villages so that those in remote locations also get internet connectivity.
The CM also shared the state government’s roadmap to make Uttarakhand a strong state by 2025 and invited PM Modi to visit the Mayawati Ashram at Lohaghat.
Dhami added that a Chintan Shivir (brainstorming session) was organised at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, on the theme of “Strong Uttarakhand @ 25”, in which all senior officials of the state and ministers participated. Discussions were held on preparing short-term, medium-term and long-term roadmaps for the development of the state, he said.
The chief minister said the state government has also set a target of doubling the economy of the state in the next five years.
“To achieve this goal, sectors have been identified which will increase the economy in view of employment generation and entrepreneurship promotion in the state. A reputed agency such as McKinsey has been appointed for speedy expansion of works and preparation of practical roadmap and investment strategy”, he said.
Dhami said the work to set up the State Institute for Empowering and Transforming Uttarakhand has been started on the lines of NITI Aayog.
Uttarakhand has also identified 15 locations in hill and plain districts to develop greenfield cities in the state.
State Millet Mission is being launched to end malnutrition in the state and to promote the production of traditionally produced coarse grains. High-value agriculture/horticulture is being promoted in the form of cluster farming approach, currently, 6624 clusters have been identified”, he said.
The chief minister added that 35 ropeways have been identified under Parvatmala Yojana, for which a strategy is being prepared to start and complete the work in a stipulated period.
Dhami said work has been started on the “Manaskhand Mala” project, under which all those religious areas, which were not yet covered, will be connected to the tourism circuit.
The chief minister added that it is proposed to sign MoUs with various industries for employment generation on a large scale, establish industrial parks and develop new industrial clusters and growth centres in the state
The chief minister said that if rain-fed rivers are linked with glacier-based rivers in Uttarakhand, not only the state but north India will benefit. “Due to global warming, the water resources in the Himalayan states are fast depleting. There is a strong need to undertake a comprehensive programme in mission mode for the revival of these streams. This programme of multi-regional importance is not possible without the technical and financial cooperation of the Central government”, he said.
The chief minister said that minimum infrastructure facilities are essential for the floating population in the state, which is around 40 to 50 million, every year due to Char Dham Yatra and other religious pilgrimages including Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar.
“In general, the increase in the revenue of the state through pilgrims is negligible. I urged PM to keep this important fact in mind while allocating financial resources”, he said.
The chief minister said that although the work relating to all-weather roads is going on at a fast pace, from a strategic point of view, there is a need to extend it to the border areas.
Dhami also urged PM Modi to relax the condition that the state bears more than 50% of the cost of rail projects due to the state’s limited resources and strategic location.
The CM said that the expansion of Naini Saini, Gauchar and Chinyalisaur airstrips as airports is necessary to promote tourism and the economy of the hilly region. Expansion of Jollygrant and Pantnagar airport is necessary for strategic approach and promotion of tourism, he added.
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