BANBASA: In a new initiative aimed at taking governance to the remote and border areas of Uttarakhand, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired a state cabinet meeting at the NHPC complex in Banbasa, Champawat district, bordering the India-Nepal international border.This was the first-ever cabinet meeting held in Champawat district, during which several important decisions were taken.Chief minister Dhami said Cabinet meetings would no longer remain confined to Dehradun and would also be held in different districts across the state. This would provide an opportunity to place local issues, development potential and regional priorities directly before the government. He said the state government was working to reduce the gap between governance and the people and ensure that the benefits of development schemes reach the last mile.The chief minister said border areas were not merely the geographical boundaries of the state but also an important link in the country’s security, culture and development. He said connecting people living in border areas with the mainstream of development was a priority of the state government. Infrastructure, employment, tourism and connectivity in these areas were being further strengthened.He said holding cabinet meetings in different parts of the state would help the government understand local conditions, public expectations and development needs more closely. It would also pave the way for effective and prompt decisions on issues specific to particular regions.During the cabinet meeting in Banbasa, chief minister Dhami and members of his council of ministers were presented with the traditional Farra/Chhantoli, an invaluable symbol of Uttarakhand’s rich folk traditions. The traditional shield is associated with the famous Bagwal tradition of Devidhura in Champawat.
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The traditional shield used during the Bagwal tradition is primarily made from bamboo or ringal strips and crafted in an umbrella-like shape. Presenting the traditional Farra/Chhantoli to the CM and cabinet ministers served as a symbol of respect for the folk culture, traditions and distinctive cultural identity of the state’s border region.
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