Tourists scared of coming to Uttarakhand: Bahuguna

The entire economy rests on tourism and now it is gone, says the CM

Tourism has taken a hit in Uttarakhand post flash floods with people now scared coming to the hill state, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said Friday.

'My primary concern is that my entire economy rests on tourism and now it is gone. People are scared to visit the state,' Bahuguna said while addressing a conference here.

He said the mid-June incident happened in Kedarnath area but tourists number have fallen drastically in Dehradun, Nainital and Mussorie too.

'The entire road around Kedarnath is gone and 78 villages are yet to be connected with power,' he said.

The chief minister said of the Rs. 130 crore claims of damage to person and property, about Rs. 120 crore has been distributed.

'The temple area has been cleared and a bridge installed. Priests will star puja from Sep 11 in Kedarnath,' he said.

The chief minister demanded permission for alternate mode of transport like ropeways in the hilly state if roads get snapped due to landslides.