Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India], March 26 (HBTV): The plan to set up a foreign liquor shop at Harshil, Uttarkashi, has been suspended due to local objections.

District Magistrate Meherban Singh Bisht stated, 'The proposed foreign liquor shop at Harshil, a hill tourist station in Uttarkashi district, has been postponed in view of the objections of local people.'

Harshil is an emerging tourist destination in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

In an official letter dated March 25, 2025, the District Excise Officer of Uttarkashi, Sanjay Kumar, informed the District Information Officer that, in accordance with the orders of the District Magistrate, the process for establishing the new foreign liquor shop in Harshil has been suspended. The letter further requested necessary actions based on the news coverage related to the opposition.

The letter stated, 'In accordance with the order of the District Magistrate, the process for the establishment of the new foreign liquor shop in Harshil has been postponed.'

Meanwhile, during his visit to Uttarakhand on March 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the government has launched a campaign to rehabilitate the villages evacuated during the India-China war of 1962.

Addressing a public rally in Harshil, PM Modi said that two villages in Uttarkashi district were evacuated during the war in 1962, and the government is making efforts to develop them into major tourist destinations.

'People might know that when China attacked India in 1962, these two villages of ours were evacuated. People have forgotten, but we cannot forget. We have launched a campaign to rehabilitate those two villages and are moving towards making them a major tourist destination,' PM Modi said.

PM Modi further stated that border villages are the 'first villages' and not the 'last villages,' emphasising their development and the special benefits they should receive for tourism.

'Our effort is that the border areas of Uttarakhand should also get special benefits of tourism. Earlier, the border villages were called the last villages. But we changed this thinking, we said that these are not the last but our first villages. The Vibrant Village programme was started for their development. Ten villages of this area have also been included in this scheme,' the PM said. (ANI)