Dehradun: Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of various connectivity projects at Mana village of Chamoli district appealed to all tourists in the country to spend at least 5 percent of their travel budget on buying local products. Modi said that every village near the border will be considered the first village in India.
Prime Minister Modi offered prayers at the Kedarnath and Badrinath temples in Uttarakhand on Friday. He arrived at the Badrinath temple in Chamoli after offering "puja" at Kedarnath temple in Rudraprayag. Modi is on a two-day visit to poll-bound Uttarakhand where he is also slated to inspect various ongoing development projects and lay foundation stones for some new ones. The prime minister was wearing a special Himachali attire that was gifted by a woman from Himachal Pradesh.
"The number of devotees visiting Kedarnath has increased significantly from 5 lakh to 45 lakh in just one season," Modi said at Manna adding that the government is working on bringing connectivity to far-flung areas. "Four-lane expressways are being built to connect states from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor will encourage businesses in Uttarakhand," he said adding that the road to be constructed from Mana to Mana Pass will help promote tourism.
"I will ensure that no tourists return from here without visiting the border village of Mana. Like Bharatmala and Sagarmala connectivity projects, work for Parvatmala is underway under which a big network of ropeway projects are being built across Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh," he said. "Digital connectivity has reached Mana village too, and the shopkeepers here are also accepting digital payments using QR codes and other modes...this is the strength of my country. I feel proud to see this at Mana today," PM Modi added.
At Kedarnath, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for the Gaurikund-Kedarnath opeway project that will enable devotees to reach the temple from Gaurikund in 30 minutes. Modi also visited the Samadhi Sthal of Adi Guru Shankaracharya at Kedarnath. At Badrinath Dham, Modi will review the progress of the development projects along the riverfront and lay the foundation stones for road and ropeway projects.
Modi will be staying in Badrinath on Friday night and will also review the progress of the beautification project of Arrival Plaza and lakes in the area. This is Modi's sixth visit to Kedarnath and second to Badrinath as the prime minister. Security has been tightened around Kedarnath and Badrinath temples in view of the prime minister's visit.
