CM promised all help from Centre for tourism schemes

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 28

Union Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma has assured Chief Minister Harish Rawat of all help in promoting tourism in Uttarakhand.

Mahesh Sharma and Harish Rawat along with Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Dinesh Dhanai inaugurated the Tehri Lake Adventure Sports Festival and Investor Conference at Tehri today. The Rajiv Gandhi Adventurous Sports Academy, a floating Marina (restaurant) and a traveller and luggage carrying barge were publicly launched on the occasion.

The Chief Minister invited investors present at the conference to invest in the tourism sector in the state. He assured them of providing all facilities and help. He said the state government was keen to link the tourism sector with the economy. “There is a need to start tourism activities at the local level as the state has a tremendous potential. The district administration, the district panchayat and the Tourism Department are preparing a plan to boost local employment through tourism-based activities,” he added.

Harish Rawat said Uttarakhand had earned a name in adventure sports activities throughout the world and efforts were on to develop water sports, adventure tourism, and mountaineering sectors. He thanked Mahesh Sharma for supporting tourism schemes in the state. He said he expected the Central government to support the schemes being prepared to develop new tourism circuits in the state.

The Chief Minister said the government had started the Himalayan Darshan Yojna. He claimed that more than 10 lakh devotees completed the Char Dham Yatra this year and the state government had set a target to invite more devotees next year.

Mahesh Sharma assured Harish Rawat that the Central government would provide every possible help to the tourism schemes of the state. He said the Centre had already released Rs 80 crore for the tourism schemes in Uttarakhand while Rs 60 crore would be released soon. He added that by involving the local youth in the tourism sector, migration from hills could be checked.

Dinesh Dhanai said the development of the Tehri Lake could heal the hurt sentiments of the affected people of the region. The lake would become a definition of development if employment opportunities were created at the local level. “It is necessary to invite big investors to develop the Tehri Lake and curb migration,” he added. The Chief Minister was handed over a memorandum of demands of local people.