Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami raised the issue of the stalled hydro power projects in his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday. He sought support of the Union government in resolving the issue of the 44 hydro power projects in the State, the work on which is stalled for a long time. He requested that the Prime Minister’s office should convene a meeting of Jal Shakti, Forest and Environment, and the Power ministries along with the State government on the issue. Dhami also requested that the facilities under the Bharat Net phase II project should be extended to the State to increase connectivity in the remote areas of the State. In the meeting which lasted for more than an hour, the CM invited the PM to visit Mayawati Ashram in Lohaghat, Champawat.

He also shared the roadmap prepared by the State government for its vision of Sashakt Uttarakhand @ 25 with the PM in the meeting and said that a ‘Chintan Shivir’ was organised at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie on the subject. Deliberations on preparing the short term, medium term and long term roadmaps were held during the event. He further said that an agency as renowned as Mckinsey has been roped in for providing consultancy and help in preparing a rational roadmap for development of the State and the State Institute for Empowering and Transforming Uttarakhand (SETU) set up on the lines of NITI Aayog has started functioning in the State. He told the PM that the State government has decided to hold a cabinet meeting in Mana village located near the Indo-China border and has included the appeal made by PM Modi to the tourists that they should spend at least five per cent of travel budget for purchasing local goods in its agenda. Dhami informed that 15 places have been earmarked in the plain and mountainous districts for developing green field cities and the State government is coming up with the State Millet Mission to promote the millets. A cluster based approach is being promoted in farming and horticulture and so far 6,624 clusters have been identified.

The CM told the PM that 35 ropeways have been earmarked under the Parvat Mala project. He said that homestays are being developed and promoted  to connect local population with tourism in the State and the State government has decided to set up Manaskhand Mala on the lines of Char Dham Yatra to promote religious tourism in the State. He requested that financial assistance under the Swadesh Darshan II scheme should be facilitated for the scheme. The CM informed the PM that the State government has started the Bal Vatikas as per the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020. He said that the master plan for the State Gatishakti has been prepared under the PM Gatishakti mission. Dhami said that the State government is planning to enter into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with different industries for large scale employment generation in the State and a new MSME policy would soon be introduced in the State. Dhami claimed that the single window system has been strengthened in the State under ease of doing business and compliance burden has been reduced. Dhami suggested that if the innovative idea of linking the rain fed rivers of the State with the glacial rivers is implemented then it could prove beneficial for the entire northern India. He requested that while allocating the financial resources the fact that a floating population of four to five crore people visits the State every year should also be considered. He said that minimum infrastructural facilities are needed for the pilgrims and revenue prospect from such pilgrims is almost zero.  Dhami said that the work on the all weather road is going at a fast pace but in view of the strategic importance the road needs to be extended to the border areas. He also highlighted the importance of expanding the Naini Saini, Gauchar and Chinyalisaur airstrips and expansion of the Dehradun and Pantnagar airports in view of their strategic significance.