By Our Staff Reporter
Rudraprayag/Dehradun, 28 Jan: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said toda that tourism and pilgrimage would help arrest migration from the villages of Uttarakhand in the coming times. He was addressing some interactions with the people in Rudraprayag today after reaching there from Dehradun. In addition, Shah also participated in a door to door campaign and distributed pamphlets to local residents along with BJP State President Madan Kaushik and local BJP leaders there.
Pauri MP and former Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat was also present on the occasion.
Shah said that reconstruction of Kedarnath is in progress, the second phase of which would also be completed in time. Also, in the next two years, the Badrinath Dham would also look grand. The Home Minister said that Uttarakhand was not called Devbhoomi without reason, it was home to the Char Dham of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath, where lakhs of devotees from the country and abroad visited every year. There were ancient monasteries and heritage in every region of the state which had special importance.
Shah reminded that Kedarnath Dham, which was affected by the disaster of June 2013, was being reconstructed under the supervision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The second phase of work is going on there, which would be completed in time. So far, work worth about Rs 500 hundred crores had been completed, due to which Kedarnath had acquired a new look. By the year 2023, Badrinath Dham would also be seen in its new form, as the reconstruction had already started. Besides the Char Dham shrines, Panch Badri, Panch Kedar and Panch Prayag in Uttarakhand had their own special significance.
Shah added that a ropeway would be constructed to make the journey to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib easier and more accessible, the outline of which had already been prepared. Work on the All Weather Road project was progressing rapidly and the roads were being made all weather friendly. The Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line would prove to be a milestone in its development and generate large scale employment. Plans had been prepared for the construction of railway lines in other areas of the state as well, on which work would start this year itself. Shah claimed that all these schemes would become the centre-point of tourism and pilgrimage in Uttarakhand and would help prevent migration from the hills.
The Home Minister declared he felt blessed after having darshan of Lord Rudranath in Rudraprayag, which was his great good fortune. He noted that every part of Uttarakhand is inhabited by Deities, which is very unique.
Shah targeted the Congress but, more than the party, he focused on former Chief Minister Harish Rawat. Shah said that the Harish Rawat led Congress Government was known for plundering the state. It was full of corruption and scams. On the other hand, the BJP Government worked with a dedicated spirit towards development. Shah said that, in Uttarakhand in 2014, 2017 and 2019, the people gave immense support to the BJP. Once again, people ought to continue with the BJP under the leadership of Pushkar Singh Dhami in the state, which would give further impetus to development. He asserted that the Union Government led by Narendra Modi was determined to further development in Uttarakhand.
Shah asked Harish Rawat how much infrastructure development happened in Uttarakhand under his leadership, commenting that Rawat led a mone order government only. He claimed that Congress had only divided people in the name of development. The Congress Government ensured that benefit of the schemes reached only its loved ones, while the BJP ensured that the benefits of various schemes reached everyone and that the state was well on course to becoming self-reliant. The BJP government had done many times more work than what the Congress had done till 2017. Work had been done that benefited the common person. People suffered a lot during Congress rule in Uttarakhand.
Amit Shah also commented that after traversing the entire state, Harish Rawat had now settled on contesting from one particular seat for the first time. His time was over and it was time for young Pushkar Singh Dhami to lead the state towards rapid development.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Rudraprayag district, also addressed the party workers in Tharali assembly of Chamoli district through virtual medium.
