Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], December 20 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday announced plans to establish rescue centres for bears and other wild animals in the state.
Speaking about the initiative, Dhami said, "We have a rescue centre for tigers and leopards in Ramnagar, where many tigers and leopards have been rescued. Similarly, rescue centres will also be established for bears and other wild animals."
He added that a comprehensive strategy to implement these schemes would be formulated within the next two weeks.
"A strategy will be formulated to implement these schemes fully within two weeks. For this, the Forest Department will be provided with nets, cages, tranquilliser guns, etc. An additional amount of Rs 5 crore will also be allocated to ensure the availability of these resources and to prevent human-wildlife conflict effectively," the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke with Union Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav over the phone on Friday to discuss the increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict in the state.
Earlier today, CM Dhami first formally inaugurated the MB Food Processing Plant in the Bugghawala area.
Afterwards, he visited the mushroom processing plant, where the second plant was inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. On reaching the mushroom plant, the Chief Minister was welcomed by workers and local people with a shower of flowers. After the inauguration, the Chief Minister inspected the plant's arrangements and gathered information about the production process.
During the visit, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that rapid progress has been made in Uttarakhand in agriculture, horticulture, and food processing.
He said that innovations such as mushroom production in Haridwar are connecting local people to employment and creating new opportunities for self-employment.
The Chief Minister said, "Government is giving the highest priority to the agriculture sector and has launched schemes such as the State Millet Mission, Apple Mission, and Green Growth."
He made it clear that the objective of these missions is to increase farmers' incomes, connect them with businesses, and make the state more economically prosperous.