Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the strategically important border district of Pithoragarh on Thursday. As per the senior district administrative officers, aside from addressing a public meeting in Pithoragarh, he is scheduled to visit Adi Kailash and Parvati Tal situated along the India-China border and offer prayers there. He might also meditate at Parvati Tal.
The old, revered Jageshwar temple is also on his itinerary. Importantly, he is the first Prime Minister to have a darshan of the revered Adi Kailash from Jeolingkong situated within the Uttarakhand territory at an altitude of 15000 feet, around 20 km away from the China (Tibet) border. The PM is also scheduled to meet the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Army personnel to boost their morale. As these areas of Pithoragarh district are quite inaccessible the local people hope that the PM’s Jeolingkong visit will help the region get a new identity in the country as well as the world as a special religious/cultural tourism destination. They said that the visit, however brief, is expected to give a fillip to tourism activities which in turn will bring about all-round development. They further said that they would demand the PM to declare Adi Kailash as the fifth Dham.
The district panchayat vice- president Komal Mehta said on Wednesday that excitement is palpable among the people here on account of the PM’s visit. “We are sure that this visit would usher in a new era of development in the region bordering China. Geographically sequestered by the mountains, development keeps eluding this region for ages,” she added.
Meanwhile, the district administration and the army officers said that security in Jeolingkong has been spruced up ahead of the PM’s visit. While the helipad is ready for the PM’s chopper to land safely, a sub-divisional magistrate has been entrusted with the responsibility of making fool-proof arrangements. While Pithoragarh city has been decked up appropriately, a folk dance troupe is all set to welcome the PM with its presentation of the popular Choliya dance of Kumaon. A senior district administrative officer said on Wednesday that during his visit, the PM would be served with millets and Kumaon’s traditional dishes. He also hinted that the PM might go for some big- ticket development announcements for this remote and strategically important border region of the district.
