Oil and gas PSUs sign MoUs for developing Badrinath Dham as 'Spiritual Smart hill Town'
10 May 2021 15:56:44
New Delhi, May 10: The Oil and Gas PSUs-Indian Oil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL, and Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for the construction and redevelopment of Badrinath Dham as a 'Spiritual Smart hill Town.'
According to the MoUs, the Oil & Gas PSUs will be contributing Rs 99.60 crore in the first phase of the developmental activities, including river embankment work, building all-terrain vehicular path, building bridges, beautifying existing bridges, establishing gurukul facilities with accommodation, creating toilet and drinking water facilities, installing streetlights, mural paintings and several similar activities.
Dharmendra Pradhan has said that Char Dham is close to millions of Indians, due to spiritual, religious and cultural reasons. The Oil and Gas PSUs will not only contribute to the development work of the Badrinath, but are also part of the development of Kedarnath, Uttarkashi, Yamunotri and Gangotri. He said “The event (of signing MoUs) is a significant milestone in the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of developing Badrinath shrine as a mini smart and spiritual city, without compromising on the religious sanctity and mythological importance of the region."
The minister lauded the efforts of Oil & Gas PSUs in developing the facilities and said, "I am glad that Oil and Gas PSUs of this nation have come forward to realize the vision of developing Badrinath Dham into a Smart Spiritual Town. Tourism is one of the key industries, which is playing a critical role in the development of the state. Development of the sites like Badrinath would also help in attracting more tourists, which in turn would strengthen the economy of the state."
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