Seven distinct welfare and infrastructure promises in a single address — Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami used a public event on Monday, 9 November 2026 to roll out a sweeping bundle of governance commitments, from district-level digital libraries to power-grid connections for off-grid villages and a surcharge waiver for small farmers' electricity bills.

Digital libraries, 'Apuni Sarkar' expansion and what they mean for hill districts

At the heart of the announcement is a pledge to establish two modern digital libraries and reading rooms in every district headquarters and municipal area across the state — a move aimed directly at students and young professionals in Uttarakhand's often infrastructure-thin hill towns. Alongside this, CM Dhami said the state's flagship e-governance portal, 'Apuni Sarkar' (our government), will be made simpler and more effective in every district, with a specific focus on reaching elderly citizens, persons with disabilities, and residents of remote areas who cannot physically access government offices.

Apuni Sarkar has been the Uttarakhand government's primary vehicle for doorstep delivery of citizen services. Deepening its district-level reach signals a recognition that digital access alone is not enough — the interface itself must work for the state's most vulnerable users.

Revenue villages to get grid power; diaspora land-purchase rules to be eased

CM Dhami also committed to connecting all revenue villages currently drawing electricity from alternative sources to the main power grid — a long-pending task in a state where remote mountain terrain has historically made last-mile grid extension slow and expensive. The announcement continues a rural electrification push that Uttarakhand governments have pursued since the state's formation in 2000, but which remains incomplete in several high-altitude pockets.

In a separate measure aimed at the state's large diaspora, the CM said the land-purchase process for Uttarakhandis living outside the state who wish to invest back home will be simplified. Uttarakhand has one of India's highest rates of outmigration relative to its population; easing investment barriers for the diaspora has been a recurring policy ask from business and community groups.

Surcharge waiver for small farmers and a pay rise for guest teachers

The economic-relief component of the announcement includes a waiver of the electricity surcharge levied on small farmers' power bills — a targeted measure for an agricultural community whose holdings are typically small and whose margins are thin in a mountain economy. The CM also promised an increase in the honoraria of guest teachers, a large and long-agitating constituency in Uttarakhand's public education system, without specifying a revised figure.

'Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman' for Gopal Babu Goswami and Chandra Singh Rahi

Perhaps the most culturally resonant part of the address was the announcement that the state will posthumously honour late folk singer Gopal Babu Goswami and late folk artist Chandra Singh Rahi with the Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman (Uttarakhand Pride Award). Both are revered figures who dedicated their lives to Garhwali and Kumaoni music and oral heritage. The recognition places their legacy within the state's official cultural identity — a symbolic act that also carries political resonance ahead of future electoral cycles.

A committee for statehood-movement activists — an old wound, a fresh promise

Rounding out the bundle, CM Dhami announced the formation of a committee to address the pending demands of state movement activists — those who participated in the agitation that led to Uttarakhand's creation as a separate state in 2000. Their residual grievances around recognition, compensation and rehabilitation have remained on the political agenda for over two decades. A fresh committee signals acknowledgement, though activists and observers will watch closely to see whether its mandate translates into concrete redressal.

Dhami closed with a pointed framing: 'hamara lakshya keval ghoshnayen karna nahin, balki unhen samayabaddh tarike se dharatal par utaarna hai' — 'our goal is not merely to make announcements, but to implement them in a time-bound manner on the ground.' Whether these commitments track to that standard will be the real measure of the address.