NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for four infrastructure projects worth nearly Rs 235 crore under the Haridwar-Rishikesh Ganga Corridor, aimed at transforming Haridwar into a modern, safe and world-class spiritual destination.
The projects, being implemented by the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board, are expected to strengthen preparations for the 2027 Mahakumbh and provide safer and more convenient facilities to pilgrims and Kanwar Yatra devotees.
At a ceremony held at the Alaknanda Hotel in Haridwar, Dhami performed the bhoomi pujan for the Rs 43.25-crore Administrative Route Corridor Development Project.
He also laid the foundation stones for the Rs 66.76-crore redevelopment of Har Ki Pauri and Subhash Ghat, infrastructure development north of Har Ki Pauri at a cost of Rs 66.34 crore, and the Rs 58.84-crore redevelopment of the Rodi Belwala area.
“These projects are part of our wider vision to develop Haridwar as a world-class spiritual and cultural city, with the blessings of Mother Ganga and the saint community,” Dhami said.
The Chief Minister said the government was committed not merely to announcing projects but to completing them within fixed timelines while ensuring quality and transparency. Officials have been directed to avoid any compromise on construction standards, he added.
Dhami said the projects would benefit residents besides improving facilities for millions of pilgrims visiting the holy city throughout the year. Better infrastructure would also boost tourism, trade, transport, hospitality, handicrafts and other service sectors, creating fresh employment and self-employment opportunities.
Referring to the Centre’s efforts to revive India’s cultural heritage, Dhami said the state was working on several ambitious initiatives, including the Kedarkhand and Manaskhand temple circuits, Sharda Corridor, Goljyu Corridor and Vivekananda Corridor.
“Our objective is not limited to beautifying temples and pilgrimage centres. We also want to provide modern amenities to devotees and generate livelihood opportunities for local youth,” he said.
Calling Haridwar the “spiritual gateway of Sanatan civilisation”, Dhami said the government was working on a war footing to make the 2027 Mahakumbh safe, orderly, grand and spiritually enriching.
Several supporting projects are already under way, including the construction of new ghats and bridges, widening of major approach roads and modernisation of traffic management.
These include road widening between Bahadrabad-SIDCUL and Shivalik Nagar, a new bridge over the Rau river between Jwalapur and Shivalik Nagar, and strengthening of the road from Patanjali Yogpeeth to Ferupur.
Dhami said Haridwar was also being developed as a centre for education, healthcare, tourism and employment.
The Haridwar Medical College is nearing completion, while a model degree college at Laldhang and a health centre at Shyampur are expected to improve public services. Plans for a heliport and pod-taxi system are also being pursued to strengthen urban mobility and pilgrim connectivity.