As much importance Badrinath and Kedarnath Dham have in Uttarakhand, Panch Badri and Panch Kedar also have the same importance. These are parts of Badri-Kedar Dham. Now the government has started the exercise to include them in the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. For this, Mumbai’s institute ANL Associates has been selected to prepare the format as per UNESCO’s guidelines. In the cabinet meeting, the proposal put forward by the Tourism Department in this regard was approved. Panch Badri includes Shri Badri Narayan (Badrinath Dham), Adi Badri, Vriddha Badri, Yoga Dhyan Badri and Bhavishya Badri. Panch Kedar includes Kedarnath Dham, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyameshwar and Kalpeshwar Mahadev. All these temples are the center of immense faith of devotees as well as of archaeological importance. Now the government has started the exercise to include them in the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. According to the UNESCO guidelines, the conservation architects of ANL Associates, Mumbai will help the tourism department to prepare the format for this. After the format is ready, it will be sent to the Central Government and then the Center will send it to UNESCO. On being included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the conservation of Panch Badri and Panch Kedar temples will get a grant from UNESCO. Also, there will be complete information about Panch Badri and Panch Kedar in UNESCO’s heritage site.
New incentive scheme for tourism development in Uttarakhand
In view of the increasing number of tourists and pilgrims in Uttarakhand, the government is now taking steps towards developing facilities in this regard. In this episode, in the meeting of the Dhami cabinet held on Tuesday, taking important decisions with the aim of giving new heights to tourism development in the state, Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Incentive Scheme-2024 was approved. Under this, other concessions including subsidy of Rs 33 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore will be given on projects ranging from one to five crore in the state. Importantly, the scheme will be only for the residents of Uttarakhand and the entrepreneurs here. It will be necessary to provide 70 percent employment to the permanent residents of the state in these enterprises. The government hopes that this will not only bring a boom in the tourism and hospitality sector, but along with the development of facilities for tourists, new employment opportunities will be created at the local level. This will also curb migration.
Decision to make Pithoragarh and Almora a municipal corporation
The cabinet has also decided to make Pithoragarh and Almora a municipal corporation in Kumaon division. With this, the number of municipal corporations in the state will increase to 11. Apart from this, many other important decisions were also taken, including placing the Uttarakhand Public and Private Property Damage Recovery Ordinance as a bill on the table of the House in the upcoming session of the Assembly. Decisions were taken on 36 subjects in the cabinet meeting held in the Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Due to the assembly session being convened, there was no briefing of the decisions taken in the meeting. The cabinet approved the Uttarakhand Tourism Entrepreneur Incentive Scheme placed by the Tourism Department after discussion. Actually, Tourism Policy 2023-30 is in force in the state, but it is focused on attracting big investment in the tourism sector. In this, only projects worth more than five crores are taken. In such a situation, there was no plan for projects ranging from one to five crores. Although, Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Tourism Self-Employment Scheme is in existence and projects up to one crore are approved in it, but it is only for the unemployed. Now this new incentive scheme has been brought for the residents of the state and the entrepreneurs here. Along with dividing the scheme into three categories, a provision of subsidy of Rs 33 lakh to one and a half crore has been made. Apart from this, other concessions have also been given. It has also been made clear that the project approved in the scheme will run in the same for 10 years. Even if someone sells his unit, he will sell it to a resident of the state.
