Lucknow: The foundation day celebrations of Uttarakhand state were held at Raj Bhawan under the chairmanship of Governor Anandiben Patel of Uttar Pradesh. On this occasion, the Governor released the audio of the musical ‘Jal Chalisa’ based on the glory of water and suggestions for water conservation and praised the development and natural beauty of the state, mentioning the rich cultural tradition of Uttarakhand. In the function, NCZCC, Prayagraj and Uttar Pradesh Culture Department gave a wonderful performance of folk art, singing and dance of Uttarakhand, which was appreciated by the Governor.
In his address, he said that the people of Uttarakhand are patriots and they live with cooperation and harmony. The land of Uttarakhand is a land of temples, where most of the religious places are located. He said that Uttarakhand has witnessed unprecedented development in the last 10 years, which is the result of the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The Governor also mentioned that the excellent work of the Prime Minister has been recognized globally and various countries have honored him with their highest awards. He said that the Prime Minister has done unparalleled work in the overall development of the country along with improving many facilities like women education, road construction, hospitals and health etc. His vision ensures that all the necessary facilities should be available to every citizen of the country.
The Governor praised the hard work and dedication of the residents of Uttarakhand while motivating everyone to learn something new every day and improve their abilities. He said that the people of Uttarakhand make terraced fields by cutting the mountains and cultivate coarse grains (Sri Anna). He praised the efforts of the Central Government to get coarse grains recognized at the international level, which has benefited the farmers of Uttarakhand.
The Governor shared the inspirational story of the farmers of Munar village in Bageshwar district. These farmers have given a new identity to the cultivation of millets (Mandwa, Amaranth, Maize and Barley). They started a biscuit factory from millets by forming a cooperative society. These biscuits are useful for pregnant women due to being iron rich. More than 900 families have got employment from this project and it has also been linked to the National Livelihood Mission.
The Governor also mentioned the spiritual significance of the Char Dhams of Uttarakhand, namely Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Appreciating the ‘Home Stay Yojana’ for promoting tourism, the Governor said that tourism is a sector which provides more employment with minimum investment. This benefits the hotel business, small shopkeepers, drivers, tourist guides and all others involved.
He mentioned tourist places like Nainital, Mussoorie, Auli, Ranikhet, Bhimtal, Kausani, Lansdowne, Pindari Glacier and Haridwar and said that Haridwar in Uttarakhand is full of pilgrims throughout the year and Kumbh Mela is also organized here, which is a symbol of India’s cultural heritage.
The Governor said that every village in Uttarakhand has brave sons who protect the country. He said that in the last 10 years, 4,200 km of roads, 250 bridges and 22 tunnels have been built in the border areas, which has improved the connectivity of the border areas. He said that in the financial year 2024-25, the Central Government has approved 37 schemes for infrastructure development in Uttarakhand.
He said that under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana’, areas with a population of more than 250 in the hilly areas are being connected by road. Adequate budget has also been provided for higher education, health, irrigation and public works. A budget of about Rs 5,131 crore has been approved for rail projects.
The Governor said that the ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to understand and promote the cultural diversity of different states. This scheme is exchanging cultural heritage and traditions of different states of the country. Organizing the foundation day celebrations of the states is a part of this effort.
On this occasion, an exhibition based on the rich culture, traditional food, music, major pilgrimage sites and great personalities of the state of Uttarakhand was also organized at the Raj Bhavan. The Governor visited this exhibition and rangoli creations. During the program, a special documentary focusing on the state of Uttarakhand was also screened. In this documentary, the state was presented in an impressive manner from its inception to its folk culture, historical and important places as well as the development work done in recent years.
On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary to Governor Dr. Sudhir Mahadev Bobde, officials of Culture Department and NCZCC, Prayagraj, Special Secretary to Governor Shriprakash Gupta, Special Officer Education Dr. Pankaj L. Jani, Special Officer Governor Ashok Desai and officers and employees of Raj Bhavan along with various dignitaries and students were present.
