Claiming that the dispute between Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand had been resolved, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday, handed over the keys of Alaknanda Guest House to his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami in Haridwar where he also inaugurated the Bhagirathi Tourist Accommodation constructed by the UP Tourism department.
“The river Ganga is formed by the holy confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. In line with the vision of the prime minister, the problem of distribution of assets in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand has been resolved through mutual dialogue,” Yogi said.
Launching an attack on the previous governments, Yogi said that for 21 years the dispute between the two states was not resolved and remained complicated.
In the presence of revered saints, religious leaders, many former chief ministers and ministers of the Uttarakhand government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stressed the need for working together for the overall development of both the states.
Stating that Uttarakhand was both his mother and motherland, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that there were endless possibilities for eco-tourism along with spiritual tourism in the state. He said people from all over the country, including the 25 crore population of Uttar Pradesh, wanted to visit the Char Dham of Uttarakhand and take a holy dip in Har ki Pauri.
“People are eager to come to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri during Char dham yatra, while in second season, many hill stations associated with Kumaon, Nainital, Jhunsi Math also attract tourists. Not only this, forest cover has also increased here in recent years, which has given rise to the possibilities of eco-tourism,” he said.
Appreciating efforts made by double-engine government for development of tourism in spiritual places like Kedarnath, Badrinath, and Rishikesh, among others, in the ‘Devbhoomi Uttarakhand’, the chief minister said that these holy places were centres of faith as well as strength of national integrity. He said that this journey of development would become a factor of happiness and prosperity for all.
Referring to the grand events of Deepotsav in Ayodhya, Dev Deepawali in Kashi, Barsana Rangotsav, Krishna Janmotsav in Uttar Pradesh, the chief minister also informed the gathering about the holistic development of places like Ayodhya, Kashi, Shukteerth, Naimishdham, Rajapur, among others.
“After the expansion of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor under the guidance of the prime minister, the capacity of the dham has increased from 50 people to more than 50,000 at a time. On festivals, over five lakh devotees turn up to this place,” he said.
The chief minister also shared the experiences of visiting Vedalife-Niramayam, a state-of-the-art centre for integrated therapy of Yoga, Ayurveda and Naturopathy, newly developed by Patanjali Yogpeeth in Pauri Garhwal. The chief minister said that there he enjoyed fruits like peach and apricot and the entire area seemed to be a place of spiritual practice of a sage.