Dehradun, July 21, 2013: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will soon convene a meeting of Union Ministers concerned and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in New Delhi to discuss speedy reconstruction of rain-ravaged areas of the State.

Announcing this here on Saturday, Mr. Bahuguna said Ms. Gandhi expressed her deep sympathies with the victims of last month’s tragedy, and wanted the reconstruction and rehabilitation of villagers so that life could return to normal at the earliest.

The Chief Minister — who has been visiting disaster-hit areas of Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Rudraprayag over the past few days, distributing relief money and hearing the villagers’ problems — said that future development activity in the State would be done keeping the environment in mind.

“No more haphazard and unscientific construction activities. All construction works will now have to secure prior approval of geological and environmental experts,” he said.

Since tourism was a major income generator for the State, efforts would be made to reconstruct tourism infrastructure on the Char Dham Yatra route and elsewhere in an eco-friendly and geologically sustainable way.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 21, 2013.