CM Dhami Clears Rs 226 Cr for Kumbh Ghats, Roads, Pensions
Synopsis
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on 31 July 2026 approved Rs 214 crore for Kumbh 2027 ghats on both banks of the Ganga in Haridwar, a Rs 11.95 crore Dehradun road upgrade, Rs 96.59 lakh for a police building, Rs 36.84 lakh in veteran scholarships, and a dearness relief hike to 60% for state pensioners.
Key Takeaways
Rs 98.18 crore sanctioned for ghat and Astha Path on the left bank of the Ganga at Gaurishankar area, Haridwar, for Kumbh Mela 2027 .
Rs 115.91 crore approved for ghat and Astha Path on the right bank at Bairagi Camp area, also for Kumbh 2027 .
Rs 11.95 crore cleared for widening 1.650 km of New Cant Marg, Dehradun from two lanes to three lanes, including utility and water line shifting.
First instalment of Rs 96.59 lakh (against total Rs 241.48 lakh ) released for Sultanpur Police Chowki administrative building, Haridwar.
Rs 36.84 lakh approved from the Kargil Shaheed Parivar Mukhya Mantri Sahayata Kosh for scholarships to ex-servicemen's dependents in engineering, medical, and PhD courses.
Dearness relief for civil and family pensioners in public bodies raised to 60 per cent per month , effective 1 January 2026 .
In a single sweeping approval round on 31 July 2026, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami cleared a clutch of projects spanning pilgrimage infrastructure, urban road upgrades, police facilities, veteran scholarships, and a pension relief hike — a bundle that signals the state government's simultaneous push on religious tourism, connectivity, and social welfare ahead of a landmark religious event.
Kumbh 2027's Ganga Ghats Get a Rs 214 Crore Foundation
The centrepiece of the approvals is the Kumbh Mela 2027 infrastructure package. Under the Irrigation Department, CM Dhami approved Rs 98.18 crore for construction of a ghat and Astha Path (faith walkway) on the left bank of the Ganga in the Gaurishankar area, downstream of Chandi Ghat, Haridwar. A parallel sanction of Rs 115.91 crore covers an identical ghat-and-pathway structure on the right bank in the Bairagi Camp area, also downstream of Chandi Ghat. Together, the two packages commit Rs 214.09 crore to remodelling the riverfront that will receive tens of millions of pilgrims during the 2027 Haridwar Kumbh. Haridwar has hosted Kumbh infrastructure drives in previous cycles — 2010 and 2021 — but the scale of the current ghat investment reflects the state's ambition to dramatically upgrade the pilgrimage experience.
New Cant Road in Dehradun Gets a Third Lane
Urban commuters in the state capital get relief too. The CM approved a Rs 11.95 crore scheme to upgrade a 1.650-km stretch of New Cant Marg in Dehradun from a two-lane to a three-lane road. The funds cover utility shifting and water supply line relocation — the preparatory civil work that typically precedes carriageway widening. The New Cant corridor connects key cantonment and commercial zones, making the upgrade significant for daily traffic flow in the capital.
Sultanpur Police Post Gets Its First Instalment
In Haridwar district, the Sultanpur Police Chowki administrative building project received its first financial push. Against a total project cost of Rs 241.48 lakh, the CM sanctioned a first instalment of Rs 96.59 lakh — keeping the construction on a phased funding track.
Kargil Martyrs' Families to Receive Scholarship Funds
In a welfare move that carries particular symbolic weight, CM Dhami approved Rs 36.84 lakh from the Kargil Shaheed Parivar Mukhya Mantri Sahayata Kosh — the state fund set up for families of Kargil war martyrs and ex-servicemen — to pay scholarships for dependents of Uttarakhand's ex-servicemen pursuing engineering, medical, and PhD programmes. Uttarakhand has one of the highest per-capita military recruitment rates in India, making veteran welfare a politically and socially resonant issue for the state government.
Pensioners Get Dearness Relief Raised to 60 Per Cent
Rounding out the decisions, civil and family pensioners in Uttarakhand's public bodies and undertakings will see their dearness relief rate rise to 60 per cent per month, effective 1 January 2026. The revision follows the pattern of periodic dearness relief hikes the state has announced in alignment with central government revisions, the last major round having come in 2023-24. The change directly benefits a significant cohort of retired government employees dependent on fixed pension incomes.
Five decisions, one approval window — and the clock to Kumbh 2027 just got louder.
Point of View
Police capacity, veteran welfare, and pensioner relief in one news cycle. For Dhami, the Kumbh 2027 ghat investment is the headline bet: Haridwar's religious tourism economy is central to Uttarakhand's fiscal identity, and visible riverfront development before a Kumbh is both a policy priority and a political asset. The dearness relief revision and Kargil scholarship disbursals, while smaller in rupee terms, speak to a government conscious of its core constituency — government employees, retirees, and military families — in a state where ex-servicemen communities carry outsized electoral weight.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money has CM Dhami approved for Kumbh Mela 2027 ghat construction in Haridwar?
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami approved a combined Rs 214.09 crore — Rs 98.18 crore for the left-bank ghat at Gaurishankar area and Rs 115.91 crore for the right-bank ghat at Bairagi Camp area, both downstream of Chandi Ghat in Haridwar.
What is the Astha Path being built for Kumbh 2027 in Haridwar?
The Astha Path is a dedicated faith walkway being constructed along the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar to facilitate the movement of pilgrims during the Kumbh Mela 2027 . It is being built on both the left and right banks of the river near Chandi Ghat.
What is the Kargil Shaheed Parivar Mukhya Mantri Sahayata Kosh?
It is an Uttarakhand state welfare fund that provides financial assistance and scholarships to the families of Kargil war martyrs and dependents of ex-servicemen. CM Dhami approved Rs 36.84 lakh from this fund for scholarships in engineering, medical, and PhD programmes.
What is the new dearness relief rate for Uttarakhand pensioners from January 2026?
CM Dhami approved an increase in the dearness relief rate for civil and family pensioners in public bodies and undertakings to 60 per cent per month , effective 1 January 2026 .
What road upgrade has been approved in Dehradun?
A Rs 11.95 crore scheme has been approved to widen a 1.650-km stretch of New Cant Marg in Dehradun from two lanes to three lanes, including utility shifting and water supply line relocation work.
