Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday, 12 June celebrated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's completion of 12 years in office — a milestone that makes him India's longest-serving elected Prime Minister — and detailed how development projects worth more than ₹3 lakh crore are currently under way in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand under his leadership.

Record Milestone in Public Office

Speaking at a press conference organised at the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Dehradun, Chief Minister Dhami conveyed the greetings of Uttarakhand's people to the Prime Minister and wished him a long and healthy life. He noted that Modi has set a new benchmark by completing 12 consecutive years as elected Prime Minister, and that by 7 October 2025, he will mark 25 years in public executive office — having served as both Chief Minister of Gujarat and Prime Minister of India.

Dhami argued that Modi's longevity in office reflects a decisive shift in Indian electoral politics: that voters now reward performance over rhetoric.

Central Schemes Benefiting the Poor

The Chief Minister credited the Modi government with rolling out a series of welfare initiatives that have reshaped lives at the grassroots. These include Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, and the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign. He said these programmes have collectively driven new milestones for India over the past 12 years.

Transformational Projects in Devbhoomi

Dhami highlighted several large-scale infrastructure and religious tourism projects that he said will redefine Uttarakhand's identity and economy. The redevelopment of Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham has, according to him, placed the state prominently on the global spiritual map. More than 3.5 million pilgrims have visited the Char Dham circuit so far this year.

The transformation of lesser-known pilgrimage sites has been equally striking. Whereas only around 500 pilgrims used to visit Adi Kailash annually a few years ago, more than 40,000 have already made the journey this year. Dhami also said that following Prime Minister Modi's personal visit to Jageshwar Dham, the site now draws lakhs of devotees annually.

On the connectivity front, three projects were specifically cited: the Char Dham All Weather Road, the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project, and the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor. Dhami described these as 'transformational improvements' that will ease access for pilgrims and boost the local economy. Development work is also progressing under the Mansakhand Mandir Mala Mission.

Women's Empowerment and Economic Impact

Chief Minister Dhami noted that more than 2.54 lakh women in Uttarakhand have been enrolled as 'Lakhpati Didis' — a central initiative aimed at making rural women financially self-sufficient with annual incomes exceeding ₹1 lakh. He said these gains, combined with the infrastructure push, are reviving the state's local economy and generating new employment opportunities.

What Comes Next

With the ₹3 lakh crore project pipeline still under execution, the pace of delivery on connectivity and religious tourism infrastructure will be closely watched. The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail link and the All Weather Road, in particular, remain works in progress, and their timely completion will be critical to sustaining the surge in pilgrim footfall that Dhami cited as evidence of Uttarakhand's transformation.