By taking several big decisions simultaneously, the Uttarakhand government has prepared to give a new impetus to religious tourism, sports and rural development in the state. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday approved many projects from Haridwar Ganga Corridor to Chardham Monitoring Centre. Overall, these decisions are being considered as a concrete step towards beautifying the religious and cultural heritage of the state as well as providing better facilities to the devotees and tourists.
The identity of Haridwar i.e. Har Ki Pauri will now be more grand and organized. Chief Minister Dhami has given green signal to the project worth Rs 66.34 crore for the development works of North Har Ki Pauri under Haridwar Ganga Corridor.
With this amount the ghats will be expanded and strengthened. Better walkways will be built for the devotees and modern lighting and signage will be installed. Basic needs like drinking water and toilets will also be provided. Apart from this, crowd management and security arrangements will be further strengthened. Special attention will also be given to the cleanliness and environmental protection of the Ganga banks.
It is noteworthy that lakhs of devotees come to Har Ki Pauri every year and especially during Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh, the crowd pressure here increases manifold. In such a situation, this project will not only promote religious tourism, but was also very important for the convenience and safety of the devotees.
Chardham monitoring and emergency center will be built in Dehradun
Every year thousands of devotees pass through the inaccessible hilly roads of Uttarakhand during the Chardham Yatra. The need for quick response in case of disaster, accident or traffic jam has always been felt. Keeping this in mind, Chief Minister Dhami has approved Rs 357.84 lakh for the establishment of Chardham Monitoring and Emergency Response Center in the capital Dehradun.
This center will play an important role in real-time monitoring of passengers, traffic management and coordination of relief and rescue in case of disaster. Considering the increasing number of Chardham Yatra, this center will prove to be very useful in the coming years.
133 crores to Panchayats, development will reach villages
Under the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, a grant of Rs 133.68 crore has been released to Panchayati Raj institutions for the financial year 2025-26. This amount will be spent on works related to drinking water, sanitation, rain water harvesting and ODF. This grant will prove helpful in removing the long-standing lack of basic facilities in rural Uttarakhand.
Haldwani stadium will become sports university
A big decision has also been taken in the field of sports. Haldwani’s international stadium will be developed as a sports university. This will provide better opportunities to the youth of Kumaon region to make a career in sports. The Golu Devta Corridor project in Champawat has also been approved. Golu Devta is a symbol of faith of Uttarakhand and his major temples are visited by a large number of devotees every year. This corridor will give a new dimension to religious tourism.
CM Dhami said – development and heritage will go together
On all these decisions, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the state government is expanding the infrastructure while striking a balance between development and heritage. His statement indicates that the government wants to expand modern facilities while maintaining religious and cultural identity. Now it remains to be seen when the work on these projects starts and when their impact is visible at the ground level.