DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday urged a group of young visitors from Haryana to share their experiences of the hill state across India, saying interstate visits promote the exchange of ideas on development and deepen cultural understanding.
The group met Dhami at his residence after a three-day tour of Uttarakhand. According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, the visitors spoke about improvements in road and digital connectivity, tourism facilities, homestays and infrastructure in border areas. They also discussed rooftop solar power and state welfare schemes.
Dhami asked them to become “digital brand ambassadors” for Uttarakhand by sharing their experiences with friends and on social media. He said young people could help introduce audiences elsewhere in the country to the state’s pilgrimage sites, local products, millets, handicrafts and work by women’s self-help groups.
“Such interstate visits give young people an opportunity to understand the country’s cultural diversity, innovations in different states and better ways of working,” Dhami said. "Such exchanges also allow states to share ideas and experiences," he added.
The visitors said they had seen how homestays could create self-employment opportunities for residents. They praised Uttarakhand’s clean environment and said they were impressed by the hospitality they received during the tour.
Despite the state’s mountainous terrain, the group said efforts to expand road and digital connectivity were visible. They also praised work on railway connectivity and facilities for tourists and pilgrims.
On development in remote areas, the visitors said improved infrastructure and public services in border regions were important for local communities.
Dhami said his government aimed to ensure that development reached the most disadvantaged residents. He said the government was focusing on employment and self-employment for young people, along with welfare measures for women, farmers and other groups.
Dhami claimed that around 35,000 young people had been appointed to government jobs over nearly five years. He also cited the state’s implementation of a Uniform Civil Code and its focus on tourism, solar energy, homestays and local products as examples of what he described as a development approach that keeps Uttarakhand’s heritage in view.