Bahuguna to encourage setting up minority educational centres

"We will encourage all efforts to promote minority educational institutes especially those of Muslims in our state. They need to be promoted especially for education of Muslim girls," he said at an event here.

The Uttarakhand CM said for the first time, the state has created a separate department for minority affairs after the recently-formed Congress government came back to power.

Speaking on power situation in the state, Bahuguna said the state has been buying power despite having a rich hydel power potential in the form of rivers.

Noting that Hindu seers and saints in the state are against using Ganga water for power production but urged them that religious sentiments should not be allowed to hamper development projects.

"Religion should give people power and courage but not be an impediment in development of the nation," Bahunguna said.