Saturday, 06 JULY 2024 | PNS | UTTARKASHI
Plans for the overall development of villages in the border areas of the district and to improve the quality of the locals’ life under the ‘Vibrant Village Programme‘ are all set for implementation. The Centre has approved the proposals for schemes worth Rs 6.57 crore for developing schools and electrification in eight villages of the district. Besides, for livelihood enhancement and tourism development in Nelang and Jadung villages at the district level, a number of projects are on the anvil, including those of connecting eight villages of Taknaur area with a ring road, construction of a bypass road outside the Harshil military area and construction of ghats on the banks of the Ganga.
Notably, 10 villages lying in the district’s border areas – Jadung, Nelang, Mukhwa, Dharali, Harshil, Bagori, Jhala, Jaspur, Purali, Sukhi – have been included under the centrally-aided Vibrant Village Programme started last year. Proposals for several schemes for these villages have been sent from the district level for the approval of the Central Government on agriculture, horticulture, tourism and cultural heritage, education and skill development and entrepreneurship promotion, road communication, housing and rural infrastructure, energy, communication and livelihood generation.
At a meeting held to review the work plan of the departments and discuss new plans, the district magistrate Meherban Singh Bisht said that special attention needs to be paid to the development of Nelang and Jadung villages in the border area. He said that along with providing basic facilities in these villages, better livelihood opportunities would have to be provided to the villagers. “By making these two villages the base camp, plans are being firmed up for tourism development of this area. For this, the local unit of the Army, forest department and tourism department officials were asked to conduct a joint inspection in this area and look for suitable track routes and submit a plan for their development,” the DM added.
While in the first phase, approval has been received for construction of homestays involving six families in Jadung, the tourism department has agreed to construct homestays for the remaining 17 families in the next phase.
