On the eve of Independence Day 2026, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami delivered a sweeping state-of-the-state address — honouring freedom fighters and Uttarakhand's statehood movement veterans in the same breath as he catalogued a raft of reforms that have reshaped the hill state over the past five years.

Rs 2 Lakh Crore and 30-Plus Policies: The Development Pitch

Dhami's central claim is scale. Development projects worth approximately Rs 2 lakh crore are currently under way in Uttarakhand under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, framing the state's trajectory firmly within the Centre's Viksit Bharat (Developed India) vision. To attract industry, the state has rolled out more than 30 new policies on industrial development and investment — a signal, his office argues, that Uttarakhand is no longer just a pilgrimage corridor but an emerging investment destination.

Borders, Brands, and Blossoms: The Rural Economy Push

Two programmes are driving development at Uttarakhand's strategically sensitive frontier: the Chief Minister Border Area Development Scheme and the central government's Vibrant Village Scheme, both targeting villages along the high-altitude border belt. Further down the value chain, the state has launched the 'House of Himalayas' brand to give local products — from hill honey to handlooms — access to domestic and international markets. Agriculture is diversifying too: apple, kiwi, and dragon fruit missions, alongside sugandh krishi (aromatic farming), are being promoted as alternatives to subsistence crops.

UCC, Land Law, and the Anti-Cheating Drive

Dhami restated what has become his government's signature legislative achievement: Uttarakhand is independent India's first state to implement a Uniform Civil Code. He also cited the state's anti-conversion law, a strict new land law aligned with public sentiment on outside ownership, and an anti-cheating statute that he said has broken what he called the 'cheating mafia' in recruitment examinations. The result, he claimed: more than 34,000 government appointments in the past five years, with transparency and timelines now built into the hiring process.

Pilgrimage Records and a Fully Literate State

The numbers on religious tourism are striking. Over 47 lakh devotees have completed the Char Dham Yatra so far this year, while the Kanwar Yatra saw nearly 5 crore Shiva devotees carry sacred Ganga water safely to their destinations — both figures cited as evidence of improved travel management. Uttarakhand has also, Dhami announced, been declared a fully literate state, and is among the leading states in implementing the National Education Policy 2020. A new Centre for Hindu Studies at Doon University has been established for deep study of Indian culture, philosophy, and history.

Women at the Centre: Reservations, Loans, and Lakhpati Didis

On women's empowerment, the CM pointed to a 30 per cent horizontal reservation for women in government services and a 33 per cent reservation in cooperative societies. Women's self-help groups are being offered interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh. The state claims to have created more than 3 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' — women earning over Rs 1 lakh annually through self-help group enterprises — under the Mukhyamantri Nari Sashaktikaran Yojana and the Lakhpati Didi Yojana.

Dhami closed with an appeal to the people of Uttarakhand to become partners in building an 'ideal, developed, prosperous, and self-reliant state' — a kicker that doubles as a political manifesto heading into the next phase of governance.