Uttarakhand: Weak economy that could get crippled without Centre's support

The hilly state going to polls early next year needs to set its finances in order, and address the employment challenge

Twenty-one years after its formation, Uttarakhand remains a complex landscape with enough potential to prosper, yet struggling to cope due to internal and extraneous factors. 

The hilly state has immense tourism potential, but experts say that the hospitality industry in the state is “low-end,” or one that does not offer premium and value enhancing services. Most of the tourism is limited to religious travel, and the cash-rich kind of Rajasthan, Kerala and Goa is not a reality in Uttarakhand. 

During the past decade, the state has also surfaced as one of the most affected by erratic and extreme weather events