Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that the government has launched a drive to rehabilitate villages evacuated during the 1962 India-China war. Addressing a public rally in Harshil, PM Modi said Mana and Jadung villages in Uttarkashi district were evacuated during the war and the government is trying to turn them into major tourist destinations.
The Prime Minister expressed his commitment to extend the benefits of tourism to the border areas of Uttarakhand. He launched the ‘Vibrant Village’ programme, which covers 10 villages. PM Modi spoke of the cooperation of the Central and State governments for the development of Uttarakhand, and mentioned the progress made in the last decade, including the Char Dham All Weather Road, modern expressways, and expansion of railway, air and helicopter services.
The Union Cabinet has recently approved the Kedarnath and Hemkund ropeway projects. PM Modi said that the Kedarnath ropeway will reduce the travel time from 8-9 hours to about 30 minutes, making the journey accessible for the elderly and children.
Focusing on the development of tourism infrastructure, PM Modi said that places like Timmer-Sain Mahadev, Mana and Jadung village are being developed afresh. He said that the number of pilgrims visiting the Char Dham Yatra has increased from 18 lakh before 2014 to about 50 lakh now. In this year’s budget, provision has been made for the development of 50 tourist places and giving infrastructure status to hotels.
PM Modi announced benefits under the Mudra scheme for homestay builders, and praised the Uttarakhand government’s efforts to promote homestays. He said new homestays are opening in villages deprived of infrastructure, boosting tourism and increasing the income of local residents.