13 new hill stations being developed

Dehradun, October 7 

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Sunday said the hill state was in the process of developing 13 new hill stations to give a boost to tourism as older destinations such as Nainital and Mussoorie had reached saturation.

Speaking at an investors summit here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rawat said: "From the point of view of tourism, 170-year-old Nainital and around 200-year-old Mussoorie have reached saturation point. We have started working on 13 new destinations in 13 districts. We have also identified the locations. A detailed project planning is being prepared to develop infrastructure. We have earmarked a budget for that," he said.

He said the newly introduced land reforms in the state would do away with earlier hurdles and help investors from outside the state to invest in Uttarakhand. 

Prime Minister Modi appreciated the state government's efforts in identifying new destinations to be developed as hill stations.

Modi said with Char Dhams, the Ganga, yoga, adventure sports and scenic beauty, Uttarakhand was a "complete tourism package". — IANS