A newly built cow shelter and a ₹108.84 crore infrastructure push landed in Khatima, Udham Singh Nagar on Thursday, 24 September 2026 — as Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the Haldighera Gaushala and simultaneously laid the foundation stones for 15 development schemes across the district.

A ₹7.23 crore shelter — and a promise of more

The Haldighera Gaushala, built at a cost of ₹7.23 crore, is designed to provide safe and dignified shelter to stray cattle in the Khatima belt. CM Dhami announced on the spot that the facility would be expanded in the future based on need, saying the gaushala represents 'nirashrит govnash ke sanrakshan ki disha mein mahatvapurna pehel' — 'a significant initiative toward the protection of shelterless cattle.'

The Chief Minister framed the project in both cultural and civic terms: 'Protection of the cow is not merely our tradition — it is our duty, our dharma, and our responsibility.' He pointed to Uttarakhand's historical identity as Devbhoomi — the land of the gods — as a natural foundation for this commitment.

The SH-70 upgrade and ₹108.84 crore in new projects

The bigger infrastructure headline of the day was the foundation-laying for 15 development schemes valued at a combined ₹108.84 crore. The single largest project: the upgrade of State Highway 70, covering 13.60 kilometres from Satrahmeel to Nanak Sagar division, at a cost of ₹34.44 crore. The CM reiterated that completing development projects 'on time and with quality' remains the state government's top priority for Udham Singh Nagar district.

16,000 sheltered cattle and 63 more sites in the pipeline

Dhami placed Thursday's inauguration inside a broader state-wide effort. He stated that more than 16,000 stray cattle are already being housed across the state's network of gau sadans (cow shelters). A pilot scheme — the Gramya Gau Sevak Yojana — has been launched to place community-level caretakers in charge of stray herd management in rural areas.

With the Urban Development and Panchayati Raj departments cooperating, land has already been identified at 63 locations across Uttarakhand for new gaushala construction — making Haldighera the visible leading edge of a much longer chain.

Badri cow products and a rural economy angle

The Chief Minister also highlighted efforts to connect cow protection to livelihood creation. Special growth centres have been established to promote Badri cow ghee and dairy products — the Badri being a native high-altitude breed of Uttarakhand — linking the cultural mission directly to rural income generation. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for broader national momentum on livestock development and cultural preservation.

Khatima now has a gaushala, a highway upgrade in motion, and fourteen other projects breaking ground. The state's next test is whether all 63 identified gaushala sites move from land identification to construction — and whether the Gramya Gau Sevak pilot scales fast enough to meet demand on the ground.