Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami of Uttarakhand on Saturday, 13 June 2026, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as independent India's first prime minister to serve the longest term on the strength of successive electoral mandates, speaking at a dialogue programme organised by Dainik Jagran at a hotel on Mussoorie Road, Dehradun.

Context

Addressing the gathering, CM Dhami said that PM Modi has served as prime minister for the longest continuous period among elected leaders in free India — a claim rooted in the fact that Modi has held office since May 2014, winning re-election in 2019 and again in 2024. He noted that the prime ministerial tenure has been marked by what he described as 'numerous historic decisions' spanning knowledge, science, education, health, and sports.

The chief minister's remarks came at a public dialogue event, a format that allows state leaders to engage with regional audiences and press while reinforcing alignment with central government priorities.

Policy Backdrop

CM Dhami highlighted that PM Modi has visited Uttarakhand — referred to as Devbhoomi (land of the gods) — 28 times since assuming office, a figure the chief minister cited as evidence of the prime minister's deep affinity for the Himalayan state. He recalled Modi's visit to the border village of Mana, near Badrinath, where the prime minister declared that all border villages of India would be treated as the country's 'first villages, not last villages.'

This vision has found policy expression in the Vibrant Villages Programme, launched by the central government in 2023, which targets frontier settlements in states including Uttarakhand for infrastructure, connectivity, and livelihood development. Dhami said the central and state governments together have become synonymous with development, good governance, and public welfare.

Stakeholders and Impact

On women's economic empowerment, CM Dhami stated that more than 2 lakh 65 thousand women in Uttarakhand have become Lakhpati Didis — beneficiaries of a central initiative under the self-help group framework that enables rural women to earn annual incomes exceeding Rs 1 lakh. He added that all women in Mana village have achieved Lakhpati Didi status, presenting it as a model of saturation-level implementation.

The chief minister also pointed to the hosting of the 38th National Games and select G-20 ministerial meetings in the state as milestones that raised Uttarakhand's national and global profile. He said the introduction of winter pilgrimage tourism under central guidance has boosted the local economy, while infrastructure projects continue to expand across the state.

Acknowledging Uttarakhand's vulnerability to natural disasters — given its Himalayan geography — Dhami said the government has consistently worked to restore normal life as quickly as possible after calamities, and that these disaster-response efforts have received recognition at the global level.

What's Next

The political and administrative spotlight will remain on the pace of implementation of the Lakhpati Didi targets and new winter tourism infrastructure projects in Uttarakhand, particularly as the state moves closer to its next assembly election cycle. The central government's Vibrant Villages Programme will also be watched for on-ground outcomes in border hamlets like Mana. CM Dhami's public alignment with PM Modi's record signals continued emphasis on central-state coordination as a core political and governance message from Dehradun.