The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand announced on Monday, 25 May 2026 that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated multiple development projects worth ₹89 lakh at the Vikas Khand (Block Development) Office complex in Khatima, Udham Singh Nagar district, during an official visit to his home constituency.

What Was Inaugurated

Three facilities were formally opened during the visit. The centrepiece was the 'Didi ki Library', a modern library built at a cost of ₹55 lakh, designed to serve students and youth preparing for competitive examinations. Alongside it, a gymnasium building was modernised at a cost of ₹7.50 lakh, and the block-level auditorium (Vikas Khand Sabhagar) underwent upgrades worth ₹26.50 lakh.

Dhami stated that these facilities would prove 'extremely useful' for students, youth, and the general public of the region, and would 'accelerate new possibilities for educational development.'

Context: The Didi ki Library

The CM described the Didi ki Library as a 'knowledge centre' for students and competitive-exam aspirants in Khatima. He noted that many talented students from rural and border areas had historically been denied quality study facilities due to a lack of resources, calling the new library a 'boon' for such students.

A distinctive feature of the library's design is its management model: the facility will be operated by women from self-help groups (SHGs), which Dhami said aligns with the state government's ongoing commitment to women's empowerment and will generate additional income for those women.

Policy Backdrop: Fit India and State Priorities

Inaugurating the modernised gymnasium, Dhami linked the upgrade to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Fit India Movement, the nationwide fitness campaign launched in August 2019. He said the Uttarakhand government was continuously expanding sports and fitness infrastructure to encourage youth toward a 'drug-free, healthy, and disciplined life.'

The three projects reflect a broader pattern in Uttarakhand's governance approach: bundling education, fitness, and women's economic participation into block-level infrastructure upgrades, often framing them as state-level extensions of central government programmes. Khatima, as the Chief Minister's home constituency, has received repeated attention under this model.

Stakeholders and Local Officials

The inauguration was attended by a cross-section of elected representatives and district administration officials, including District Panchayat President Ajay Maurya, Block Head Sarita Rana, Nagar Palika Parishad President Ramesh Chandra Joshi, former MLA Dr. Prem Singh Rana, MP Representative Ravindra Rana, District President Kamal Jindal, District Magistrate Nitin Singh Bhadauria, SSP Ajay Ganapati, CDO Divesh Shashani, and ADM Kaustubh Mishra, among other officers and public representatives.

The primary beneficiaries identified by the CM are rural students, youth preparing for government and competitive examinations, and women from self-help groups who will manage the library's day-to-day operations.

What's Next

The operational handover of the Didi ki Library to self-help group women will be a key milestone to watch, as will early data on student footfall and examination outcomes. Dhami reiterated that Khatima remains a 'centre of his special commitment to development' and that efforts for the area's all-round progress would continue. If the block-level library-and-gym package delivers measurable results, similar models could be replicated across other blocks in Udham Singh Nagar and beyond.