More needs to be done on infra development front: Uttarakhand CM Rawat

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Monday expressed happiness over the rising number of tourists visiting the state but said more attention needs to be paid to basic infrastructure development and creation of adequate tourist facilities.

"Arrival of a record number of tourists is a welcome thing as it brings employment opportunities for the state's youth but we need to work more on basic infrastructure development and create more tourist facilities to meet the growing requirements," Rawat said after inaugurating a two-lane flyover near the ISBT on NH 72 here.

An action plan is also being worked out to make the chardham yatra easier for devotees and tourists in the coming years, he added.

Built at a cost of Rs 33.26 crore, the total length of the flyover is 597.25 metres. It is the second flyover to be inaugurated on the route by the chief minister in a month.

Later talking to reporters, Rawat said the problem of fuel shortage on the chardham yatra route has also been addressed.

Despite the yatra season being at its peak, long queues of vehicles had been seen at the petrol pumps on the yatra route.

BJP national media in-charge Anil Baluni, who hails from Uttarakhand, had met Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday to apprise him of the problem of fuel shortage on the route.