Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in a discussion held during the special session of the Assembly on Tuesday. During the discussion, he outlined the state’s history from its inception to the present. He also reiterated his resolve to make Uttarakhand the best state in the country in the coming years. The special session has been extended by one more day for discussion, and the government will provide its response on Wednesday.
Praised the contributions of all Chief Ministers: Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami said that during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, the state received a special economic package from the central government upon its establishment. Through this, a new era of tourism development, industrial expansion, and economic reforms, along with public welfare schemes, began in the state under the leadership of former Chief Ministers Nityanand Swami and Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Following the state’s first assembly elections in 2002, a Congress government was formed under the leadership of Narayan Dutt Tiwari. Under his leadership, several important decisions were taken to establish administrative stability in the state, encourage industrial development, and expand education, health, and infrastructure.
After 2007, the tenure of then-Chief Minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri focused on good governance, transparency, and accountability. Subsequently, during the tenure of Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank as Chief Minister, several landmark decisions ensured the state’s all-round development.
In this context, the people of the state voted for the Congress party in the 2012 assembly elections. This period was marked by political instability, natural disasters, and various challenges for the state. During this period, with the support of the central government, the reconstruction work of Kedarnath Dham was initiated, which played a historic role in restoring the faith of devotees after the devastating disaster of 2013.
In the 2017 assembly elections, the BJP won with a landslide victory, paving the way for Trivendra Singh Rawat to serve as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. Under his leadership, several important reforms were initiated in the state towards good governance, transparency, and technology-based administration.
After him, Tirath Singh Rawat assumed the position of Chief Minister and within a short period of time successfully organized the world’s largest spiritual gathering, the Haridwar Kumbh, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In this way, all Chief Ministers contributed in their own way.
Carrying out responsibility amidst difficult challenges: CM Dhami said that in July 2022, during a global disaster like the COVID-19 pandemic and just seven months before the assembly elections, he had the opportunity to assume the responsibility as the Chief Servant of the state. That short period presented many challenges. With the guidance and support of the Prime Minister, he successfully implemented various policies and schemes in the state and tried to give them a new direction.
As a result, in the 2022 assembly elections, the people of Uttarakhand, for the first time in the state’s history, elected a single party with a landslide victory for the second time, giving them the opportunity to serve the state again. Since then, the government has been working with determination to honor the state’s agitators and fulfill their dreams.
Uttarakhand on the Path of Progress: Presenting a detailed overview of the government’s work, CM Dhami said that more than 30 new policies were formulated in various sectors, increasing employment and self-employment opportunities in the state. Following this, efforts have been made to move the state forward on the path of progress with a vision of holistic development. These efforts have led to our state ranking first in the country in the Sustainable Development Goals Index for the year 2023-24 released by NITI Aayog.
Today, the state’s unemployment rate is better than the national average. The state’s economy has grown 26-fold, and per capita income has increased 18-fold. At the time of state formation, our economy was ₹14,501 crore, which is projected to increase to ₹3,78,240 crore in 2024-25. Similarly, the per capita income in our state was only ₹15,285, which has now increased to approximately ₹2,74,064.
The double-engine government has made Gairsain the summer capital: He said the double-engine government has worked to make Gairsain the summer capital. He himself has adopted Sarkot village in Gairsain. Opposition members should visit and inspect the situation. The state government organized the Global Investors Summit in 2023 and signed investment agreements worth over ₹3.56 lakh crore.
Dedicated to farmer welfare: CM Dhami said the state government is working tirelessly for the upliftment and prosperity of the state’s farmers. While interest-free loans up to ₹3 lakh are being made available to farmers in the state, up to 80% subsidy is also being provided for purchasing agricultural equipment through the ‘Farm Machinery Bank’ scheme.
Emphasis on tourism along with pilgrimage: He said that pilgrimage and tourism are important pillars of the state’s economy. Keeping this in mind, the government is continuously making efforts to develop various sectors like religious, adventure, eco-tourism, wellness tourism, agro tourism and film tourism in the state.
