Dhami meets PM Modi in Delhi, seeks financial aid to upgrade Uttarakhand's infrastructure

Dehradun, Jul 14 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Monday and sought financial assistance for upgrading the state's infrastructure, according to an official statement.

During the meeting, Dhami invited the prime minister to attend the Nanda Raj Jat Yatra, scheduled to be held in the state next year, and requested Rs 400 crore from the Centre to develop necessary infrastructure for facilitating the pilgrimage, the statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said.

The chief minister appealed to Modi to direct the concerned ministries to develop the Nepa Farm in Udham Singh Nagar as a centre for semiconductors, extend the Regional Rapid Transit System between Delhi and Meerut to Haridwar and include a provision for road construction in Tanakpur-Bageshwar and Rishikesh-Uttarkashi rail projects, it said.

The chief minister, while referring to the Kumbh Mela to be held in Haridwar in 2027, requested financial assistance of Rs 3,500 crore for work, including repair of bridges, parking, electricity, drinking water, toilets, transport and development of footpaths for devotees, it said.

He also requested to direct the concerned departments approve the detailed project report of Rs 1,015 crore sent by the Uttarakhand government for undergrounding the power lines in Rishikesh and Haridwar cities, as well as automating the power system under the Reconstructed Distribution Area Scheme (RDSS), the statement said.

Dhami informed the prime minister that a preliminary proposal of the Pindar-Koshi Link Project has been prepared to connect the snow-based rivers with the rain-based rivers, it said.

He said if the water of the snow-based Pindar river is mixed with the rain-based Koshi, Gagas, Gomti and Garud rivers, then about two lakh people from 625 villages of Bageshwar, Almora and Nainital districts will get the benefit of drinking water and irrigation.

The chief minister requested to include the project in the special scheme of the central government. He also urged Modi to grant permission for the development of five hydropower projects of a total capacity of 596 MW in line with the recommendations of the committee constituted by the government.

According to the statement, the prime minister took detailed information from the chief minister about the Chardham Yatra, Adi Kailash Yatra, Nanda Raj Jat Yatra, and the Kumbh to be held in Haridwar, as well as the status of the Jal Jeevan Mission in the state.

Modi assured Dhami of all possible cooperation from the central government for the development of Uttarakhand, the statement said. PTI DPT RHL