my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun / Tehri Garhwal, 8 Mar: Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd) attended the “Tehri Lake Festival” in Tehri Garhwal on Sunday as the Chief Guest. He said that, through the festival, important messages related to the environment, year-round tourism, culture, and adventure sports have reached across the country and the world. It has demonstrated the potential not only of Tehri but of the entire state of Uttarakhand. He expressed confidence that Uttarakhand will play an important role in achieving the goal of a developed India.
The Governor praised the organisers of the festival, noting that more than 15 competitions were held over four days with the participation of around 3,500 participants, which is highly encouraging. He particularly highlighted the expansion of the event this year and the inclusion of various themes.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Governor devoted a large part of his speech to women. He said that the daughters of the hills have very high aspirations and possess great strength and determination. He illustrated women’s empowerment through four interesting anecdotes.
The Governor shared an incident about an NCC cadet. At a programme in Dehradun, when he asked a ninth-grade NCC cadet about her goal, she replied that she wanted to become the Chief of Defence Staff.
He also mentioned meeting a girl who participated in an AI-based competition at the Technical University. She told him, “I love technology”, indicating that girls today understand the importance of technology.
The Governor recalled his first visit when he met women from a Self-Help Group who produce nine varieties of traditional Himalayan salt (pahadi loon). These products are even sold in New York and London.
He also spoke about a woman mushroom producer from Almora who was earning Rs 25,000 per month. He encouraged her to aim for Rs 1 lakh within six months, which she achieved. Now she aims to earn Rs 1 crore annually.
In his speech, the Governor also touched upon topics ranging from water, forests, and land to the history of Tehri and related issues. He also spoke about traditional mountain foods, local dishes, and millet (Shri Anna).
The Governor expressed happiness about linking the event with Himalayan O2, stating that it sends a strong message about environmental conservation. He also praised the Chhui Bath programme and suggested that the discussions held during it should be compiled into a book. He also appreciated MLA Kishore Upadhyay for his commitment to Himalayan concerns.
The Governor said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed that Uttarakhand is not only about the Char Dham pilgrimage, but has tourism potential throughout all 12 months of the year. Following this vision, Uttarakhand is promoting winter tourism, rural tourism, and cultural tourism.
The Governor distributed prizes to winners of competitions such as painting, Master Chef, group fashion show, and Mr & Mrs Tehri. On this occasion, the district administration presented him with a souvenir related to the traditional mountain musical instrument Ransingha.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, a theatrical performance was presented by Sur Ganga Sangeet Kala Manch, which the Governor appreciated.
Earlier, upon his arrival, the Governor was warmly welcomed at the helipad by MLA Kishore Upadhyay, DM Nitika Khandelwal, SSP Ayush Agarwal, District Panchayat Chairperson Ishita Sajwan, BJP District President Uday Rawat, and other public representatives and officials.
Others present at the programme included Vinod Uniyal, Geeta Rawat, Secretary to the Governor Ravinath Raman, Municipal Council, New Tehri, Chairman Mohan Singh Rawat, Chamba Municipal Chairperson Shobhni Dhanola, and others. The programme was conducted by Rakesh Badhani.
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