Uttarakhand Minister of State for Higher Education Dhan Singh Rawat inaugurated a programme held on Namami Gange by lighting the inaugural lamp in Pauri on Tuesday.
The officials of the Higher Education and Cooperative departments and the members of NSS, Nehru Yuva Kendra and Swajjal took oath on the occasion to keep Ganga clean with mutual coordination.
The Bhuwan Ganga app of the Union Government was also started during the programme. This app can be used by the people to send suggestions on how to make Ganga clean to the Centre and the State Government. Before the programme started the students of different institutions took out a rally which commenced at the Agency Chowk and ended in the Collectorate premises after snaking through Mall Road, the bus terminus and Dhara Road.
The Government officers and the citizens besides the members of several social institutions also took out a Namami Gangee rally to motivate the people to maintain the sanctity of the holy river. A cultural programme was also presented under the theme of the same project.
District magistrate Sushil Kumar said that 30 villages from across the state have been selected under Namami Gangee programme. “In some of them, work has already started. We are working out plans to make Pauri a tourist destination,” he said. Dhan Singh Rawat said that the Central government has pumped Rs 22,000 crore to make Ganga clean. Besides, the Centre would spend Rs 7,000 crore to link Char Dhams with rail connectivity, he said.
Zila Panchayat president Deepti Rawat and Swajal director Raghav langar were among others who spoke on the occasion.