Pauri: Under the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a continuous wave of development is flowing through Uttarakhand in sectors like roads, health, education, tourism, employment, Char Dham roads, rail connectivity, medical colleges, and self-employment schemes, said Satpal Maharaj, the State Minister for Public Works Department (PWD), Irrigation, Tourism, Rural Works, Religious Affairs, and Culture, who is also the regional MLA.
He was speaking while inaugurating a multipurpose camp organized at Pankhet in the Ekeshwar development block under the Chaubattakhal assembly constituency on the occasion of the Somnath Swabhimaan Parv.
The Minister also said that numerous development projects have been executed in the Ekeshwar development block over the past nine years. A budget of ₹44.18 crore has been sanctioned for two highly anticipated pumping drinking water schemes—Bhumya Danda and Jwalpa Devi Gram Samuha. These two schemes will benefit residents across 24 small and large villages and hamlets (toks) in the block. Furthermore, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Drinking Water Corporation has approved ₹31.64 crore for this block, with over 75% of the work already completed across all projects. Additionally, the Jal Sansthan has sanctioned ₹14.67 crore to provide drinking water under the same mission, and work on these projects is underway. Similarly, 12 motor roads have been approved under Phase II (Stage 1 and Stage 2) of the Public Works Department, out of which 10 have been completed while work on the remaining two is ongoing.
Providing further details, Cabinet Minister Maharaj stated that the Rural Works Department had approved ₹9.10 crore for 5 motor roads in the Ekeshwar block. Work on four of these roads has been completed, while construction is still underway on the Mankotkhal-Kalyani motor road. Under the Rural Development Department, ₹71.19 crore was sanctioned for the fresh construction, upgrade, and tarring of 14 motor roads across Stages 1, 2, and 3—all of which have been completed. Under Stage 4, tenders have been floated for the Maina-Pilkhaira and Jhangarbau-Siwal motor roads, and approval has been granted for the Bhandali village motor road.
In honor of the region’s heroes, memorial gates (Smriti Dwars) have been constructed. These include a gate dedicated to 12 freedom fighters in Siwal village, another for Shaheed Baba Mohan Singh Uttarakhandi on the Maudadi-Bagyali motor road, one for freedom fighter Balwant Singh Miya in Dundrakoti, and a memorial gate in Pinani dedicated to the memory of the late freedom fighter Kundan Singh Gusain.
