Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today met Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in New Delhi and discussed several important issues for the state. The Chief Minister requested the Central Government for cooperation on issues related to infrastructure development and housing schemes in view of the upcoming Kumbh 2027 in Rishikesh, Haridwar and other pilgrimage areas.
The Chief Minister thanked the Union Minister for approving the DPR of ₹ 547.83 crore related to undergrounding and automation of HT/LT power lines in the Ganga Corridor of Rishikesh under the RDSS scheme. He also requested for early approval of a similar proposal of ₹ 315 crore for the Haridwar Kumbh area by including it in the RDSS scheme. The Chief Minister informed that due to Whitelisting and Redeemable Voucher system under the guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), private developers are not showing interest in the projects. He requested to re-implement the earlier 40:40:20 phased payment system so that the implementation of the scheme can be expedited.
The Chief Minister informed that under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), construction of 15960 residential units is in progress under the AHP component in the state. Out of these, 15281 units have been allotted to the beneficiaries. But due to unorganized income and low CIBIL score of the beneficiaries of EWS category, loan facility is not being available from leading banks. He requested the Central Government to issue special guidelines in this regard to banks, NBFCs, SLBC and RBI so that maximum beneficiaries can avail the benefits of the scheme.
The Chief Minister informed that the state government is developing Rishikesh-Ganga, Haridwar-Ganga and Sharda Riverfront at Tanakpur as world class religious and cultural sites. Requesting a contribution of ₹100 crore from THDC’s CSR fund, he said that this effort will not only strengthen the “Namami Gange” program but will also promote sustainable tourism and local livelihood.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that with the expected cooperation from the Central Government, Uttarakhand will achieve new heights in the field of housing and infrastructure development along with organizing the upcoming Kumbh in a grand, safe and environmentally sensitive manner. Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar assured all possible cooperation.
