Dehradun, Nov. 20 -- Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday directed officials to expedite the preparation of a detailed roadmap for setting up a spiritual economic zone (SEZ) in each of Uttarakhand's two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon. He said the initiative would play a pivotal role in positioning the state as a global spiritual, cultural and tourism hub. Chairing a high-level meeting at his residence, Dhami said the proposed zones would focus on preserving the state's religious, cultural and natural heritage while ensuring the holistic development of major pilgrimage sites and their surrounding areas. "The project would open up new avenues of employment and self-employment for local youth and give a considerable boost to the state's economy. The departments must begin work on the plan within the current fiscal year", he said. According to officials, the zones will also emphasise the promotion of yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, naturopathy, local handicrafts, mountain products and cultural events. Dhami said the initiative would further enrich the state's tourism landscape and strengthen its image as the "spiritual capital" of the country. Dhami also stressed the need to enhance winter travel arrangements and called for an aggressive promotion of the state's tourism potential, both within India and abroad, using traditional and modern platforms. The chief minister said, "The broader objective is to boost tourism, improve the standard of living for residents and ensure sustainable development while safeguarding Uttarakhand's natural and spiritual heritage". He directed officials to formulate a concrete implementation strategy and ensure close monitoring at every stage of the project. Tourism minister Satpal Maharaj joined the meeting virtually. Those present at the meeting included Badri-Kedar Temple Committee chairman Hemant Dwivedi, chief secretary Anand Bardhan, principal secretary RK Sudhanshu and other senior officials The state government's push for two special economic zones comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the statehood silver jubilee celebrations in Dehradun on November 9 , said Uttarakhand has the potential to emerge as the spiritual capital of the world, given its deep-rooted spiritual traditions and growing prominence in yoga, ayurveda and wellness tourism. "Spirituality is central to Uttarakhand. If Uttarakhand decides, it can establish itself as the spiritual capital of the world. The state can connect its yoga and wellness centres to the global network of wellness tourism," he said. The Prime Minister added that over the past 25 years, Uttarakhand had made remarkable progress in ayurveda, yoga and herbal development. "At the policy level, a complete package for setting up yoga and wellness centres at the assembly segment level should be framed to attract tourists and pilgrims from across the world," he added. The Prime Minister also said that Uttarakhand was truly the heartbeat of India's spiritual life....