To mark 100 days of the BJP government in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat today announced a metro rail project to connect the state capital to the holy city of Haridwar.
"In view of increasing in traffic in Dehradun, the government has decided to introduce metro rail services till Haridwar. A director has also been appointed for the project," he said at an event here.
Rawat, to mark his 100 days in office, launched a booklet, '100 Din Sarkar Ke, 100 Din Vikas Ke', prepared by the state's public relation department. To reduce travel time between Dehradun and Delhi, the Muzaffarnagar-Deoband-Roorkee railway line project will be completed soon, he assured.
"Once the project is completed, trains going to Delhi will not have to go through Saharanpur. This will cut travel time by at least two hours," Rawat said.
In a bid to promote tourism , he also directed officials to develop one site as a tourist spot in 13 districts of the state.
The Chief Minister announced that the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, had already sanctioned Ring Road projects for Dehradun, Haridwar and Haldwani.
"The projects will help meet the rising vehicular traffic in the state. Moreover, eyeing the long jams during the tourist season in Mussoorie, a new road connecting Dehradun to Hathipaon will also be constructed," Rawat said.
He said in a recent meeting in Delhi, the Union Textile Ministry had agreed to establish a centre of the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Dehradun.
On promoting agriculture in border areas of the state, Rawat announced to give farmers loans up to Rs 1 lakh, but said it would be difficult for a small state like Uttarakhand to waive farm debts.
To reduce water problems, he said the state will work towards rejuvenating the Rispana and Bindal rivers.
