Anil Ambani keen to help develop Uttarakhand

Concluding his 'pilgrimage' to the Himalayan shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath, industrialist Anil Ambani said on Monday that he is keen to invest in the industrial, power and tourism sectors in Uttarakhand.

After his mostly airborne visit to two of Hinduism's holiest sites – which the average pilgrim can reach only after an arduous trek – he flew back to the state capital of Dehradun and was closeted with chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank for nearly an hour.

An official spokesman later said Ambani expressed his desire to develop the 'Chardham' pilgrim-cum-tourist circuit (Badri, Kedar, Gangotri, and Yamunotri) to create better facilities for visitors, and inquired about various development plans in the region.

Ambani also said he was interested in participating in industrial and power development programmes. He said the development of the 280 MW Urthing-Sobla hydroelectric project, on the Dhauli Ganga River in Pitthoragarh district, was being held up due to lack of environmental clearances from the union government.

Nishank promised that his government would take up the matter with centre for early completion of the project. He also told Ambani that the state government had identified nearly 25,000-30,000 mw of hydropower potential in the state.

Nishank said a master plan of the Chardham tourist circuit was also being prepared, where there was a tremendous scope for private companies to invest.

Anil Ambani's holy rolling seems to have brought on a mood of penitence – he publicly wrote to estranged elder brother Mukesh seeking to reconcile their differences. (See: Mukesh Ambani brushes aside Anil's olive branch)