CM Dhami participates in Surya Devbhoomi Challenge 2.0 prog
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 20 Apr: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday participated in the closing ceremony of the Surya Devbhoomi Challenge organised under the joint aegis of the Indian Army and Uttarakhand Tourism at Garhwal University, Chauras Campus, Tehri.
Dhami said on the occasion that the Surya Devbhoomi Challenge was attended by 100 brave soldiers of the Indian Army, along with approximately 200 adventure trekkers from across the country. He said that the participants of the high-altitude marathon successfully completed the challenging 113-kilometre journey from Helang to Kalgot, Kalgot to Mandal via Ukhimath on the Kedarnath-Badri Trail. He said that all the participants displayed excellent courage, patience, and determination.
The Chief Minister added that, along with the adventure competition, the participants also travelled the historical and spiritual route connecting Badrinath, Kedarnath Dham and Panch Kedar. He said that the Army, along with protecting the country’s borders, is playing an important role in nation-building through such events that inspire society and the youth. Such events strengthen discipline, courage, leadership skills and the spirit of patriotism within the youth.
The Chief Minister said he was confident that this event would prove helpful in preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage and also in increasing employment and livelihood opportunities in the border areas. The Chief Minister said that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the youth of India are full of confidence, the border areas are joining the mainstream of development and our country is establishing a new identity at the global level in the field of adventure sports and tourism.
The Chief Minister stated that under the Prime Minister’s leadership, not only is adventure tourism being promoted in the state, but unprecedented work is also being done towards the development and empowerment of our border villages under the Vibrant Village Program. He noted that the Prime Minister promoted several adventure sports during his winter stay in Harsil-Mukhba last year. The State Government is paying special attention to promoting adventure sports in the state. Activities such as angling, rafting, kayaking, trekking, paragliding, cycling, and mountaineering are being systematically promoted in the state.
The Chief Minister said, from the snowy slopes of Auli to the swiftly flowing Ganga in Rishikesh, from the heights of Munsiyari to the vast expanse of Tehri Lake, every region of Uttarakhand is emerging as a strong and vibrant hub of adventure tourism. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, an extensive network of roads is being developed in the border areas, which has not only facilitated transportation in the border areas but has also given a new impetus to tourism, trade and strategic development.
The Chief Minister said that, by visiting a remote and strategically important region like Mana, the Prime Minister has also served to give new recognition to the importance of border areas at the national level. The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to all the participants and winners of the competition and wished them a bright future.
On this occasion, Major Pushpendra Singh, Garhwal Scouts, said that this competition was organised with the aim of promoting adventure tourism in border rural areas and connecting traditional travel routes with tourism. Under which about 300 participants from all over the country took part in this tough 113 km long competition. The participants had to demonstrate their physical ability, patience and skills in various stages while passing through difficult mountain routes. The programme started with the expo held in Badrinath on 16 April. After this, marathon stages were organised from Helang to Kalgot on 17 April, from Kalgot to Mandal on 18 April and from Mandal to Ukhimath on 19 April.
Present on the occasion were MLA Vinod Kandari, GOC-in-C, Central Command, Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, Olympic medal winning boxer Vijender Singh Beniwal, BJP District President Uday Rawat, Block Pramukh, Devprayag, Vinod Bisht, Kirtinagar, Anchala Khandelwal, District Magistrate, Tehri Garhwal, Nitika Khandelwal, SSP Shweta Choubey, Vice Chancellor Prakash Singh and others.
