Former Chief Minister Harish Rawat organised a programme at his residence to mark the Harela festival. The guests were served traditional recipes of the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Rawat said that it is important for the concerns and culture of the state to reach the next generation so that the state’s rich heritage of culture, literature and traditions is maintained.He recalled that during his tenure as the chief minister, he had taken about 1,100 initiatives which were connected in some way to the water, land and forests of the State.
He cited his efforts for encouraging traditional mountain produce and water conservation as actions linked with the economy and culture. Noted folk singer Basanti Bisht along with other women sang traditional compositions on the occasion. The Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Pritam Singh, party state co in charge Sanjay Kapur, MlA Harish Dhami, lalit Farswan, former chief secretary Indu Kumar Pande and various other persons from the Congress and other spheres were also among those present on the occasion.