DEHRADUN: Even as Uttarakhand grapples with chronic traffic snarls, overcrowding and rising pollution across the Char Dham circuit, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government has approved plans to organize an International Himalayan Car Rally, a move that is already drawing criticism from environmentalists who fear it could further increase the carbon footprint in the ecologically fragile Himalayan state.
At a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, ministers held a detailed discussion on the proposed rally and approved the selection of an organizing agency through a single-source process.
The government aims to attract more than 120 entries, including 25 international participants, 25 Asia Cross Country Rally competitors, 20 classic car rally entrants and 50 drivers from the Indian National Rally Championship.
The decision comes at a time when the Char Dham Yatra route is witnessing unprecedented vehicular pressure, with long traffic jams, mounting waste and increasing emissions becoming routine concerns.
Environmental groups argue that promoting a high-profile motorsport event in the Himalayas sends contradictory signals when authorities are simultaneously appealing for sustainable tourism and climate resilience in a region highly vulnerable to landslides, flash floods and extreme weather events.
Besides the rally proposal, the Cabinet approved a pilot project for embryo transplantation and dairy enhancement in cattle, a subsidy covering 20 percent of insurance premiums for about 15,000 registered horses and mules used during the Char Dham Yatra, and relief measures for Public Works Department contractors affected by a sharp rise in bitumen prices following turmoil in the Middle East and the resulting increase in crude oil prices.
The Cabinet also approved the creation of five posts for operating advanced AMS machines at the Aromatic Plant Centre in Selaqui for testing adulteration in essential oils and related products. It further cleared amendments related to the state's excise policy and provided relief to eligible candidates seeking reservation benefits under the Uttarakhand statehood movement quota in certain recruitment examinations.
In another significant decision, the government approved revisions to the cut-off date for extending "equal pay for equal work" benefits to personnel engaged through UPNL, aligning the eligibility criteria with directions issued by the Supreme Court.
Environmentalists, however, say the Himalayan car rally decision is likely to dominate public debate, questioning whether a state struggling with overtourism, congestion and environmental degradation can afford an event that promotes more vehicles in one of India's most fragile mountain ecosystems.
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