Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated and laid the foundation of multiple development projects in Uttarakhand worth nearly Rs 4,200 crore.
The projects, numbering 23 in total, will give impetus to infrastructure, education, health, electricity, drinking water, sports, tourism, disaster mitigation and horticulture sectors in the hill state.
The projects whose foundation stones were laid by the prime minister at an event in Pithoragarh included 21,398 poly-houses, cultivation of high-density intensive apple orchards, five works of double-laning of roads and slope treatment of national highways and the construction of 32 bridges in the state.
These also included strengthening of disaster management mechanism, expansion of education, health and sports facilities and development of temples in the Manaskhand area on the lines of Chardham.
The projects inaugurated by Modi included various infrastructure development projects and those aimed at increasing the availability of drinking water and electricity facilities in the hilly areas.
Modi arrived here on Thursday, beginning his daylong visit to the border state with a darshan of the Adi Kailash peak, an abode of Lord Shiva, and a puja at Parvati Kund in Jolingkong.Modi was received by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the ITBP helipad in Jolingkong.
Wearing a traditional tribal outfit complete with a white turban and an off-white ‘ranga’ (a robe-like upper body garment), Modi performed an ‘aarti’ and blew the conch shell at the Shiva-Parvati temple situated along the banks of Parvati Kund in Jolingkong.
He was guided by local priests Virendra Kutiyal and Gopal Singh. He also sat in meditation briefly with folded hands in front of the Adi Kailash peak, also in Jolingkong.
Modi then proceeded to the border village of Gunji where he interacted with locals and security personnel, and attended an exhibition of local products like warm woollen clothes and artefacts. He was accompanied by Dhami and Chief Secretary S S Sandhu.
In the Gunji village, situated around 36 km down from Jolingkong, the prime minister was accorded a warm welcome by the people of the Rung tribe including women in their traditional attire.
The prime minister the locals affectionately: holding the hands of an elderly tribal woman and taking her blessings, caressing a child tied around mother’s back and bowing to the crowd.After his programme at Gunji, the prime minister left for Jageshwar Dham, an ancient temple dedicated to lord Shiva in Almora district.
He reached Shaukiyathal helipad at 11.38 am and went by the road to Jageshwar Dham, about 15 km away. After offering puja, parikrama around the jyotirlinga and meditation at Jageshwar Dham, the prime minister will have a lunch consisting of Kumaoni cuisines there.
