The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand on Friday, 12 June 2026 shared a statement from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi with giving unprecedented momentum to the development of religious and spiritual sites in the state over the past 12 years.

Context

The statement, posted under the hashtag #12YearsofGaribKalyan, quotes CM Dhami as saying: 'Over the past 12 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the development of religious and spiritual sites in Uttarakhand has received unprecedented momentum.' The remark is part of a broader ruling-party campaign marking 12 years of the Modi government at the Centre, which took office in May 2014.

Uttarakhand is home to the Char Dham — the four sacred Hindu pilgrimage centres of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri — which draw millions of pilgrims annually and form the backbone of the state's religious tourism economy.

Policy Backdrop

The Union government launched the PRASAD scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) in 2014-15, providing dedicated central funding for pilgrim amenities and infrastructure at identified religious sites, including several in Uttarakhand. The scheme has since channelled resources into facilities such as waiting areas, sanitation, lighting, and approach roads at major shrines.

Following the catastrophic June 2013 Kedarnath floods, the central government initiated phased reconstruction of the Kedarnath Temple complex and its approach routes from 2014 onwards, with the Ministry of Tourism and other agencies coordinating the effort. Separately, the Cabinet approved the Char Dham All-Weather Road Project in 2016 to ensure year-round connectivity to all four dhams — a project that has remained a centrepiece of the state's infrastructure narrative.

This pattern of integrating religious-site development with highway and tourism schemes has been replicated across other major pilgrimage centres in India, treating such infrastructure as both cultural preservation and economic stimulus for local communities.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of these investments are the estimated millions of pilgrims who visit Uttarakhand's shrines each season, as well as the tourism-dependent communities — hoteliers, guides, porters, and traders — whose livelihoods are directly tied to footfall at these sites. Improved all-weather connectivity and upgraded facilities have the potential to extend the pilgrimage season and increase visitor numbers.

Local residents and small businesses in towns such as Kedarnath, Badrinath, and Uttarkashi have historically seen economic cycles shaped by the condition of roads and pilgrim infrastructure, making central-government investment a matter of direct material consequence beyond its cultural significance.

What's Next

Observers will watch for physical progress updates on the remaining stretches of the Char Dham All-Weather Road Project, where land acquisition and environmental clearances have been ongoing concerns. Any new pilgrim-facility allocations in the next Uttarakhand state budget will also signal how the state government intends to build on the central momentum highlighted by CM Dhami. The campaign framing suggests the ruling dispensation intends to continue positioning religious infrastructure as a signature governance achievement heading into future electoral cycles.