New Delhi, January 6, 2024
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday as a courtesy call. The Chief Minister invited the Prime Minister to the 38th National Games to be held in Uttarakhand. He also presented the Prime Minister with a shawl from Malari (Chamoli) and a replica of Narayan Ashram.
The Chief Minister expressed gratitude on behalf of the people of Uttarakhand for the leadership, guidance, and support provided by Prime Minister Modi for the state’s development. He also briefed the Prime Minister about the ongoing developmental projects in the state.
The Chief Minister stated that the first phase of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail project is progressing rapidly. The survey for the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail project has been completed. He requested approval for this project and urged the central government to bear the full financial expenditure of the project.
He also proposed closing the old Rishikesh railway station and shifting all train operations to the new Yog Nagari railway station to facilitate the proposed basic developmental works in Rishikesh.
Regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Chief Minister shared updates on its progress and requested the release of the remaining central funds for the mission at the earliest.
The Chief Minister expressed gratitude for selecting Rishikesh as an iconic city for river rafting. He requested central-level resources for the Haridwar-Rishikesh Ganga Corridor and the Sharda Corridor projects, citing the state’s limited resources.
The Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister about a proposed MoU with the Iceland Embassy for harnessing geothermal energy in the state. He mentioned that necessary clearances had been obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and the Ministry of External Affairs. He sought technical and financial assistance for this project to help Uttarakhand play a key role in achieving the carbon net-zero target by 2070.
Additionally, the Chief Minister requested directives for the approval of proposals submitted to the Ministry of Road Transport, including the Rishikesh Bypass, Haridwar Bypass (Package 2), Dehradun-Mussorie Connectivity, Dehradun Ring Road, Champawat Bypass, and bypass projects in Lal Kuan, Haldwani, and Kathgodam, along with the Manaskhand projects.
