Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami addressed a special public outreach event at Baggha Chovan in Khatima on Saturday, 13 June 2026, as the principal guest of the '12 Saal Vishwas Ke, Vikas Ke, Jankalyan Ke' ('12 Years of Trust, Development, and Public Welfare') campaign organised by the Uttarakhand government to mark 12 years of the BJP-led central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Residents of the area welcomed the Chief Minister with traditional Chholia and Tharu cultural dance performances and floral garlands upon his arrival.

Context

Addressing the gathering, CM Dhami said that the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completed 12 years in office, during which several 'historic and far-reaching decisions' have been taken in the national interest. He credited these decisions with positioning India as 'a strong power on the world stage.' The event at Baggha Chovan is part of a broader outreach campaign being run across Uttarakhand to highlight the achievements of both the central and state governments over this period.

Dhami invoked a series of flagship central schemes, stating that from the moment Modi assumed office, public welfare was placed at the centre of governance. He specifically highlighted the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, launched nationally in 2015, as having ensured 'respect, security, and opportunities for daughters.'

Policy Backdrop

The Chief Minister enumerated several central welfare programmes, noting that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan — initiated in 2014 — turned sanitation into a mass movement and provided toilet facilities to crores of families. He added that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana freed mothers and sisters from cooking smoke by providing clean cooking fuel, while the Har Ghar Jal Yojana extended clean drinking water to remote and water-scarce areas.

On healthcare, Dhami said the Ayushman Bharat Yojana — rolled out nationally in 2018 — is providing better health facilities to citizens, with every eligible resident of Uttarakhand entitled to free treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh. He also recalled the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, introduced in March 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown, which he said ensured 'no person goes hungry' by providing free foodgrain to crores of beneficiaries. On the pandemic response more broadly, he noted that India developed an indigenous vaccine and provided free inoculation to its citizens while also supplying vaccines to several other countries, sending 'a message of global cooperation and world brotherhood.'

Uttarakhand-Specific Initiatives

Turning to state-level governance, CM Dhami said that inspired by PM Modi, Uttarakhand has undertaken several 'historic' steps of its own. The state government has decided to implement the Uniform Civil Code — a move positioned as a governance reform that would apply a common personal law to all communities in the state. He also highlighted a strict anti-cheating law enacted to bring transparency to recruitment examinations, saying it has led to the jailing of several members of 'cheating mafias.'

Dhami stated that more than 33,000 youth have so far been appointed to government positions through 'transparent and impartial' processes in the state. He added that efforts are continuously being made to expand basic infrastructure and accelerate development work in the Baggha Chovan region specifically.

What's Next

The '12 Saal Vishwas Ke' campaign signals a sustained political outreach effort by the Uttarakhand government, with senior officials and elected representatives present at the Khatima event including District Panchayat President Ajay Maurya, State Minister of State Ranjit Singh Namdhari, and State Vice-President Satish Bhatt, among others. The focus on Uttarakhand's Uniform Civil Code implementation and ongoing recruitment transparency will be closely watched as the state government continues its campaign. Progress on both fronts is likely to shape the political narrative in the region in the months ahead.