Uttarakhand: The Dhami government is actively addressing reverse migration and will organize migrant panchayats across the state
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The tenth meeting of the Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Prevention Commission was held today, Friday, December 19, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The meeting discussed the issue of migration in detail. CM Dhami said that migration has been a major challenge for the state, but in the last four to five years, the state government has taken several important steps to encourage reverse migration.
The Chief Minister said that various schemes have been implemented to increase livelihood opportunities for people in rural areas. Under these schemes, eligible beneficiaries are also being provided with subsidies on loans, which is giving a boost to the rural economy.
The CM instructed officials to organize migrant panchayats across the state, inviting migrants working in India and abroad. They should be informed about the state government’s initiatives related to reverse migration, and their suggestions should also be sought.
The Chief Minister also instructed the commission members to visit other states to gather information about the work done by their respective state governments regarding reverse migration, and to study innovations related to preventing migration and promoting reverse migration. He also directed that 25 new locations in the state be developed as wedding destinations, similar to Triyuginarayan. Special attention should be paid to providing all basic amenities at these locations. Emphasis was also placed on promoting small-scale industries for the development of the hilly regions.
Meanwhile, Dr. S.S. Negi, Vice Chairman of the Rural Development and Migration Prevention Commission, said that a trend of reverse migration is now being observed in the rural areas of the state. So far, about 6282 people have returned to their villages. This includes people who have returned from within India and from abroad. Most of them are working in the tourism and small-scale industry sectors and are moving towards self-reliance.
In the last four years, approximately 6282 people who had migrated from the state have returned through reverse migration and are now running businesses in their villages. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami discussed this in detail during today’s meeting.
He also mentioned that the CM has given instructions to hold migrant panchayats during the meeting. Contact should be made with people from Uttarakhand living in other states, and they should be encouraged to return to their home state. Of the migrants who have returned in the last four years, 38 percent are engaged in horticulture and agriculture. 20 percent have joined the tourism sector, including homestays and other related activities. The remaining people are pursuing various other businesses.
