By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 8 May: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has visited Uttarakhand more than two dozen times over the years, is now likely to visit Tehri district for the first time. The proposed visit is being seen as highly significant as it is linked not to a political rally but to the inauguration of one of the country’s major energy projects.
PM Modi has always shared a special connection with Uttarakhand through religious visits, tourism promotion, developmental projects and election-related programmes. Despite his frequent visits to the state, there have still been a few districts where he had never attended any official event. Tehri is among those districts, and now for the first time the district is likely to witness the PM’s visit.
According to the proposed programme, Modi is expected to inaugurate the 1000 MW Tehri Pump Storage Plant project, which is being regarded as one of the country’s major energy infrastructure projects. The project is considered extremely important not only for Uttarakhand but also for meeting the nation’s future energy requirements. So far the dates for Modi’s visit to Tehri have not been finalised but official sources claim that he may visit Tehri either towards the end of May or in June for the inauguration of the ambitious scheme.
A look at PM’s earlier visits to Uttarakhand indicates that most of his programmes have been associated with religious destinations, election rallies and development schemes. Uttarakhand has held two global investment summits and both of them have been inaugurated by him. The first one was held when Trivendra Singh Rawat was the CM and later one was held when Pushkar Singh Dhami had become the CM. Besides this, Modi has visited Kedarnath Dham several times, making Rudraprayag district the most frequent venue of his visits to the state in addition to Dehradun. Modi’s last visit to Uttarakhand was in Dehradun on 14 April this year to inaugurate the much awaited Delhi-Dehradun Expressway and to hold a road show and a rally.
Apart from this, he has also travelled to Chamoli district on several occasions in connection with programmes at Badrinath Dham. PM Modi has also offered prayers at Jageshwar Dham in Almora district, while his visit linked to the Adi Kailash Yatra in Pithoragarh district had also drawn considerable attention. He has also visited Mukhwa (also called as Mukhba) village in Uttarkashi district, where the winter worship of Goddess Ganga is performed. Through these spiritually significant visits, the Prime Minister has consistently attempted to strengthen his connect with the hill regions of Uttarakhand.
On the political front as well, has addressed a significant number of election rallies and government functions in the plains districts of Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar. He had also addressed a major public gathering in Srinagar town of Pauri district. In 2019, he visited the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Nainital district, where he participated in a jungle safari and highlighted the importance of wildlife conservation.
Sources point out that Modi has already visited nearly 10 out of Uttarakhand’s 13 districts through various programmes during his term as the PM. However, Tehri district had so far remained untouched by any direct visit of the Prime Minister. This is one of the key reasons behind the growing excitement among the local residents regarding the proposed programme.
Tehri district has long been identified with major dam and energy projects. The Tehri Dam itself is counted among the country’s most significant hydroelectric projects. The new 1000 MW pump storage plant associated with the project is being viewed as extremely important from the perspective of future energy demands. Apart from electricity generation, the project is expected to play a vital role in energy conservation and grid balancing.
The Prime Minister’s proposed visit is not being viewed as limited merely to the inauguration of the project. There is also a strong possibility that he may lay the foundation stone for the proposed Tehri Medical College during the visit. In addition, several important announcements related to regional development projects are also expected. As a result, the programme is being considered highly important both from developmental and political perspectives.
It may also be recalled that during his last visit to Dehradun, Modi was scheduled to inaugurate the 1,000 MW Storage Pump project of Tehri on virtual basis from Dehradun itself. However, the plan was dropped just days ahead of his visit on 14 April. Probably, Modi had then decided that he would like to visit Tehri for the inauguration of this project on a physical basis.
For local residents in Tehri, the proposed visit is expected to be a historic occasion as Tehri district is likely to witness a major public gathering of the PM for the first time. Until now, people of the district had only seen the Prime Minister through television broadcasts or programmes held in other districts. For the first time, they are likely to get an opportunity to see and hear him directly in their own district. This has further heightened enthusiasm at the local level. A likely public rally in Tehri by Modi is expected to boost BJP’s chances in forthcoming assembly elections in the state early next year.
Preparations for the proposed visit have already begun at the administrative level. Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan has chaired a meeting with senior officials at the Secretariat to review preparations for the programme. Discussions were held regarding security arrangements, venue selection, traffic management and other logistical issues. The officials have been instructed to ensure that all the necessary arrangements are completed well in time in view of the PM’s likely visit.
Tehri MLA Kishore Upadhyay also shared details regarding the proposed programme. He said that considering the importance of the project and the sentiments of the people of Tehri, it has been decided that the PM himself will visit Tehri to inaugurate the ambitious scheme.
Upadhyay said the PM’s visit would prove historic for the development of Tehri district. He said the visit would not only strengthen the region’s identity in the energy sector but would also accelerate growth in tourism, healthcare and infrastructure facilities.
Politically too, the proposed visit is being considered highly significant. Several major political and developmental issues are expected to emerge in Uttarakhand in the coming months. In such a situation, the Prime Minister’s programme in an important hill district like Tehri is being viewed as a major political message for the BJP as well.
Although an official final confirmation from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is still awaited, preparations already underway at the government.
