Uttarkashi: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday grandly inaugurated the Sankri Winter Festival and Tourism Festival-2025 at Sankri, the base camp for the famous tourist destinations of Kedarkantha and Harkidun in the Mori development block area of Uttarkashi district. During the event, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off a group of tourists.
He said that the Himalayan tourist destinations in the Mori region, including Harkidun, Kedarkantha, Devkyara, Chagsil, and Baradsar Tal, are the identity of the state. They are providing significant employment opportunities for local youth. He said that earlier, tourism in the mountains was limited to only three months, but the government has made it a year-round employment-based activity by promoting winter tourism and lake-meadow tourism, which is strengthening the hill economy.
CM Dhami said that Sankri is not just a village, but a living museum of Uttarakhand’s folk culture. On his first visit to Sankri, the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude for the affection and enthusiasm of the local people and said that the traditional wooden architecture, folk songs, folk dances, and simple hill lifestyle here reflect the unique identity of Uttarakhand. He said that this festival is a celebration of Uttarakhand’s faith, culture, tradition, and self-respect, and also embodies the idea of ”development with heritage.” He said that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for winter tourism, unprecedented enthusiasm is being seen in areas like Kedarkantha, Harshil, Auli, Munsiyari, and Sankri regarding winter tourism, which is stopping migration from border villages and providing employment opportunities to local youth.
The Chief Minister said that winter tourism will provide a new market for folk artists, handicrafts, traditional cuisine, and local products. Young people are becoming self-reliant through trekking guides, homestays, hotels, and tourism-related work. The Chief Minister said that the government is working rapidly in the fields of education, health, roads, electricity, and connectivity in the state. Projects such as the construction of parking facilities and road projects in Uttarkashi, the Purola sub-district hospital, and the Tiloth power plant are examples of this.
Referring to the Silkyara tunnel accident, the Chief Minister said that the safe rescue of 41 workers during the 17-day rescue operation is a symbol of the government’s sensitivity and resolve. He said that the government is strengthening cultural values, law and order, and transparency along with development. With the Uniform Civil Code, the anti-copying law, strict land laws, and a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, Uttarakhand is becoming one of the leading states in the country. The Chief Minister appealed to the public to make winter tourism a mass movement and to cooperate in making Uttarakhand prosperous and self-reliant. During this time, the Chief Minister also inspected the stalls set up by various departments at the Winter Festival.
