Opening a long awaited facility, the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and the State Forest and Wildlife Minister Harak Singh Rawat inaugurated the operation of safari vehicles in Corbett Tiger Reserve from Kotdwar on Monday. They also inaugurated the Kotdwar eco tourism circuit development scheme on the occasion. With the start of the jungle safari from Kotdwar in Pauri district, the Corbett Tiger Reserve will now be about 50 kilometres closer to the national capital compared to the Corbett gate at Ramnagar in Nainital district.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that the schemes inaugurated at Kotdwar will lend a new direction to the social and economic development of the region. These schemes will also provide new avenues for self employment to the local youth while also increasing the number of tourists. Stating that eco-tourism will be linked with the state’s development and income, Rawat said that schemes are being prepared which will maximise the employment opportunities for local youth while also encouraging tourism. The chief minister averred that the state government was working with sensitivity. Doctors had been transferred to remote mountainous regions with 90 per cent of them also assuming charge. He said that other important steps are being taken to improve the condition of health services in the state. The Chief Minister also presented cheques for loan at two per cent interest rate to 200 farmers under the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay cooperatives farmers welfare scheme. He also assured all possible assistance to the disaster affected. He also unveiled the foundation stones for various works costing Rs 960.77 lakh on the occasion. These include the improvement of motor roads from Simmalchaid to Sitabpur, Durgapur to Haldukhata and Jhandichaid to laldhang-Chillarkhal costing Rs 456.17 lakh along with improvement of motor roads under various schemes in different parts of the region.
Expressing his views on the occasion, the state forest and wildlife minister Harak Singh Rawat said that Kotdwar is important from the religious, historical and environmental points of view. He said that the Kotdwar eco tourism scheme and safari facility inaugurated here will encourage tourism in the region. State minister Dhan Singh Rawat, lansdowne MlA Dilip Rawat, district Panchayat head Dipti Rawat, principal chief conservator of forests RK Mahajan and Uttarakhand Eco Tourism Development Corporation managing director Anup Mallik were also among those present on the occasion.