Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday, 15 June 2026, inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 19 development projects worth ₹110 crore in Pauri Garhwal, alongside launching the Jai Kandolia Pauri Mahotsav-2026, a cultural festival for the district.

Context

Posting on X, CM Dhami stated — 'पौड़ी गढ़वाल में जय कंडोलिया पौड़ी महोत्सव-2026 का शुभारंभ करने के साथ ही ₹110 करोड़ की लागत से 19 विकास परियोजनाओं का लोकार्पण एवं शिलान्यास किया' ['I inaugurated the Jai Kandolia Pauri Mahotsav-2026 in Pauri Garhwal and dedicated and laid the foundation stones for 19 development projects at a cost of ₹110 crore']. He described the projects as 'a milestone in the development of Pauri district' and expressed gratitude to local residents for their warm reception.

The Chief Minister also highlighted that the state is continuously expanding employment and self-employment opportunities, which he said has encouraged reverse migration — a trend where youth are returning to their villages and home regions rather than moving to plains cities.

Policy Backdrop

Pauri Garhwal is among the hill districts of Uttarakhand that have faced sustained out-migration over decades, as residents — particularly young people — moved to cities in search of livelihoods. Successive state governments have responded with district-level infrastructure pushes and self-employment schemes.

The Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana, rolled out around 2020, was one such initiative aimed at expanding self-employment avenues and incentivising reverse migration from hill areas. The BJP administration under Dhami, in power since 2021, has continued this approach by linking cultural events with infrastructure announcements across the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of Monday's announcements are residents of Pauri district, particularly rural youth whom the government has identified as the target group for its employment and self-employment drives. The 19 projects, spanning inauguration of completed works and fresh foundation-stone layings, are intended to improve local infrastructure and economic activity.

The Jai Kandolia Pauri Mahotsav also serves as a platform to spotlight the district's cultural identity, a strategy the state has used to build local pride and economic activity through tourism and cultural events. Tying a cultural festival to a development announcement is consistent with the pattern seen across other districts in Uttarakhand.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the implementation timeline and employment outcomes generated by the ₹110 crore project bundle. The government's claim of growing reverse migration will be tested against district-level demographic data in the months ahead.

If the projects are executed on schedule, Pauri Garhwal could serve as a template for similar district-level development-cum-cultural event drives across other hill districts of Uttarakhand — a model the Dhami administration appears to be institutionalising ahead of future electoral cycles.