Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Nov: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, while speaking informally to the media at Doon University today on the sidelines of the Pravasi Uttrakhandi Sammelan, asserted that the state government organises a convention for non-resident people of Uttarakhand every year, which witnesses large-scale participation from individuals living across the country and abroad, providing them with an opportunity to reconnect with their roots, ancestral villages, culture, and heritage. He noted that the diaspora from Uttarakhand has carved out a distinct identity across various fields globally. He claimed that the state government is actively encouraging them to reconnect with their ancestral villages, yielding positive outcomes as many expatriates are returning to their roots and adopting villages to contribute towards local development, a commendable initiative that aids village revitalisation while maintaining cultural ties.
Dhami also claimed that the state has recorded a 44 per cent increase in the rate of reverse migration, adding that this serves as an encouraging sign for Uttarakhand. Dhami also added that the government desires the expatriates to become active participants in the state’s development through their experiences, knowledge, skills, and suggestions, which the administration endeavours to incorporate into various developmental schemes and programmes. Elaborating on tourism preparations, the CM mentioned that all the necessary arrangements are underway for the winter pilgrimage in the state, with relevant officials having received explicit directives, while also appealing to devotees to visit Uttarakhand during the winter months to pay obeisance at the winter abodes of the Char Dham, given that traditional rituals continue at these alternative sites following the closure of the main shrines and hold immense spiritual significance.
Reaffirming the state’s commitment to defence personnel, he reiterated that honouring every soldier remains a part of the local tradition, and the government is fulfilling its promise by providing reservation to Agniveers completing their four-year tenure, having already approved the regularisation of the first batch of two Agniveers into the 40th Battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
