Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. During the meeting, the Chief Minister invited the Prime Minister to the National Games being held in Uttarakhand. He 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 Prime Minister’s leadership, guidance, and support in the state’s development. He also briefed the Prime Minister on the ongoing development projects in the state. The Chief Minister stated that the first phase of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail project is progressing rapidly, and the survey for the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail project has been completed. He requested the approval of this project and sought full financial support from the Central Government for its execution.
The Chief Minister also proposed the closure of the old railway station in Rishikesh and requested that all train operations be shifted to the new Yog Nagari Railway Station. He suggested that the railway tracks at the old station could be repurposed for a new road network, which would improve traffic flow.
Regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Chief Minister updated the Prime Minister on its progress and urged the release of the remaining central funds allocated to the mission at the earliest.
The Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister for selecting Rishikesh as an iconic city for river rafting and requested resources from the Central Government to support the Haridwar-Rishikesh Ganga Corridor and the Sharda Corridor projects, considering the state’s limited resources.
He informed the Prime Minister about a proposed MoU with the help of Iceland Embassy to harness geothermal energy in the state. Necessary no-objection certificates have already 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 support for this project to help Uttarakhand play a crucial role in achieving the goal of carbon net zero by 2070.
The Chief Minister also requested the Prime Minister to direct the concerned authorities to approve 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 bypasses for Lalkuan, Haldwani, Kathgodam, and the Manaskhand Project.
