Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the 25th meeting of the Central Regional Council held in Varanasi on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai and ministers were present in the meeting.
In the meeting of the Central Regional Council, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami raised many important issues related to the state and said that the state of Uttarakhand bordering the international borders is also very important from a strategic point of view. In view of this, it is necessary to provide adequate facilities of road, communication, security and logistics supply in the border areas of the state. He urged the Union Home Minister to provide more assistance to Uttarakhand through the Border Roads Organization. Under the Vibrant Village Program, facilities should be developed in the border villages of the state so that it can help in stopping the migration there. He also requested to start Bharat Net Yojana, 4-G expansion project and satellite based communication services for the development of communication facilities in border areas.
The Chief Minister also urged the Central Government to relax some policy provisions in the interest of the state of Uttarakhand in the meeting. He also demanded technical support from the Center for allocation of central grant of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the state in lump sum, providing additional support for efficient operation of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, setting up a high-level glacier study center in the state to study the effects of climate change and setting up a biodiversity conservation institute. The Chief Minister sought cooperation for the establishment of an International Adventure Sports Training Center in view of the possibilities of adventure tourism in the state. He also urged the Central Government to provide necessary support for the successful and grand organization of Nanda Rajjat Yatra in the year 2026 and Kumbh Mela in 2027 in Uttarakhand.
The Chief Minister said that 71 percent of the area of Uttarakhand state, which has about 80 percent mountainous terrain, is covered with forests. Due to the complex geographical conditions of the state and various natural disasters, the economic activities of the state are limited. Despite these adverse conditions and limited resources, the economy of the state has grown by about one and a half times. Along with securing the first position in the SDG ranking released by NITI Aayog in the year 2023-24, Uttarakhand has also got second place in the category of small states in the field of good governance and financial management in the Care Age Rating Report released this year. Work is being done to make Uttarakhand a harmonious and safe state by making Uniform Civil Code, strict anti-copying law, anti-conversion law, anti-riot law, land law in the state. By assimilating the principles of Vocal for Local, heritage and culture, education and skills, participation and self-reliance, an important achievement has been achieved by connecting more than three lakh youth of the state with various means of self-employment. Uttarakhand is being developed as an AYUSH and wellness hub. The country’s first ‘Yoga Policy’ has also been launched in the state. A decision has also been taken to establish two Spiritual Economic Zones to promote Ayurvedic and Naturopathy, Yoga and Spiritual Tourism in the state. The Central Government has given full support and cooperation in successfully bringing these efforts and commitments of the State Government to the ground.
The Chief Minister said that the meetings of the Central Regional Council in the past years have paved the way for the resolution of many important policy and inter-state issues. Historic work is being done in the field of cooperation, security and regional coordination in the country. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the efforts of the Home Minister, India has moved towards becoming a developed and self-reliant nation by becoming more internally secure, organized and full of self-confidence.
