U'khand recalls former CM N D Tiwari's contributions, hails him as 'Vikas Purush'

Ravindra Singh, who works at a parking lot near the iconic Ramjhula in the Tehri-Garhwal district, said he felt heartbroken the day he learned of the demise of Uttarakhand former chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari.

Singh, in his late 40s, points to the granite plaque that was unveiled by Tiwari in his capacity as the chief minister in 2005, at the inauguration of the upper storey of the parking lot that faces the Sivananda Ashram at scenic Muni ki Reti, about 3 km from the holy town of Rishikesh.

"I was present at the ceremony when Tiwari ji had come to inaugurate the facility. He contributed a lot to the development of our state. He was was a 'Vikas Purush' (man for development)," he told PTI on Sunday.

Singh said he read about Tiwari's death the next day through the newspapers. "I didn't watch the TV on Thursday, and the news on Friday came as a shock. He was very dear to the people of Uttarakhand."
Umesh Negi, a front desk staff at a hotel in Dehradun, said, "Tiwari ji was respected by both senior political leaders and the common man. It is sad he left us, but he did a lot for Uttarakhand as a CM."