Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday and congratulated him on assuming the responsibility of India’s Prime Minister for the third time.
He expressed confidence that under the able leadership of PM Modi, the country will be successful in achieving new dimensions of overall development & setting new records of success in the whole world.
On this occasion, CM Dhami presented a replica of Mahasu Temple to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Chief Minister Dhami informed him about various issues related to the development of the state.
CM Dhami said that for the social & economic development of Uttarakhand, hydroelectric projects are the main factor in the increase in the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). To meet the electricity requirements of the state, Uttarakhand has to purchase energy worth about Rs 1,000 crores from the open market every year, which is putting an additional burden on the financial resources of the state.
CM Dhami requested Prime Minister Modi to re-review the final report of Expert Committee-2 constituted on the instructions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court regarding the 24 hydroelectric projects proposed in Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and tributary rivers with the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Power.
CM Dhami also requested PM Modi that in view of the special geographical conditions of the state of Uttarakhand, the Government of India & its agencies are facing difficulty in selecting suitable land for compensatory plantation for smooth implementation of road construction project in the state, because as per the currently prevalent Forest Conservation and Development Rules, and Guidelines 2023, only non-forest land has been made the basis for the above purpose, in which compensatory plantation can be done in equivalent non-forest land. It has also been provided that in the forest land recorded in the records of the Revenue Department which is not under the control of the Forest Department, compensatory plantation can be done on twice the forest land.
CM Dhami said that Uttarakhand is 67% forest covered area. The availability of land for the development works of the state is less. The state of Uttarakhand is a state of strategic importance adjoining the international border. In view of its importance, there is delay in getting approval due to non-availability of land under the Forest Conservation & Development Act, 2023 for construction of roads and other structures by various institutions of the Government of India, NHAI, BRO, ITBP, Railways and Army Department in the forest land located in the state.
In this regard, the Chief Minister again clarified that in view of the special geographical conditions and strategic importance of Uttarakhand, he requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the concerned ministry to approve the ongoing forest land transfer proposals for all these purposes while keeping the provisions of the notified rules, 2017 intact for the non-forestry project being done by the undertakings of the Government of India.
Chief Minister Dhami requested Prime Minister Modi for Multi Model Logistics Park to promote investments in the state & transfer of land from BHEL Haridwar to the state for industrial development. He informed the Prime Minister that with the joint efforts of the Government of India and the State Government, Integrated Manufacturing Cluster, Khurpiya is being constructed on 1002 acres of land under 50-50 % sharing. The value of the land provided by the state government is Rs 410 crore and all NOCs have been received. The Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister for approval of Integrated Manufacturing Cluster, Khurpiya.
CM Dhami also informed the PM Modi that out of the 48 mythological temples identified under the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission, infrastructure development work has started in 16 temples. He also requested the Prime Minister to provide assistance of Rs1,000 crore for making these temple routes 2-lane and mutual connectivity.
CM Dhami informed PM Modi that under the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission, an action plan is being prepared for the development of Sharda Corridor to develop the famous Purnagiri Dham located in Kumaon region. A master plan is also being prepared for the development of the famous Kainchi Dham located in the Kumaon region. A master plan has been prepared to develop the border village Gunji (Adi Kailash area) located in Pithoragarh as an international tourist destination. Gunji has been divided into six components art culture, skill, knowledge, meditation, science and relaxation, to be developed on the basis of the theme of “Shiv Nagari”. In the first phase, under Swadesh Darshan Yojana-2.0, it is proposed to develop Sadhna Kendra, Eco Trail, Resource Center, Heritage Village and adventure activities in Gunji. The state government has conducted a survey to provide heli-services for Gunji, Adi Kailash and Om Parvat.
The Chief Minister requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the Dehradun-Mussoorie rail line project approved by the Railway Ministry for the expansion of rail services in Uttarakhand. He also requested the Prime Minister for administrative and financial approval of the proposed Jyoli Kang-Vedang 5 km, Sipu-Tola 22 km and Milam-Lapthal 30 km tunnel projects in Uttarakhand.