The Uttarakhand government has asked the Centre to provide expert advisors for developing border villages under its Vibrant Village Programme. The state government has also urged the Centre to increase procurement of food items and other goods from border villages and to strengthen tourism in these areas.
Demands for promoting tourism in 50 villages, mainly along the Indo-China border, were raised by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan during a series of meetings with Union government authorities and departmental heads in New Delhi on Friday.
In his meeting with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, the Uttarakhand Chief Secretary requested the inclusion of provisions for appointing high-level advisors under the Vibrant Village Programme. Bardhan told Mohan that this would help the state implement the programme more effectively.
He noted that 50 villages in Uttarakhand along the international border have been included under the Vibrant Village Programme. The appointment of expert advisors, he said, would provide proper direction for the development and growth of border villages.
Apart from seeking advisors under the Vibrant Village Programme, Bardhan also emphasised the need for cooperation in the holistic development of the Indo-China border area of Mana village, while preserving its traditional cultural heritage.
In another meeting in Delhi, Bardhan requested the Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, to help the state promote border-area tourism, thereby advancing the Centre’s Vibrant Village Programme.
He urged General Chauhan to ensure that the Indian Army and ITBP increase procurement of local food products from border villages, as this would help strengthen the local economy. This, he said, would raise incomes in these regions while providing nutritious and high-quality food grains to soldiers.
In another key meeting, Bardhan held detailed discussions with Electronics and Information Technology Secretary S Krishnan and sought support to help develop Uttarakhand as a potential semiconductor hub under the Union government’s India Semiconductor Mission. He stressed the need to market the Software Technology Park in Dehradun more effectively to position it as a preferred destination for software companies.