Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday participated in the 117th executive committee meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Mahapaur Parishad in Rishikesh, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for three projects worth Rs 29.78 crore. The package, announced by the Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand, includes the inauguration of one scheme worth Rs 23.15 crore and the foundation laying of two schemes worth Rs 6.63 crore, alongside site inspections by the Chief Minister.

Context

Welcoming mayors from across the country, Dhami described them as the 'first citizens' of their cities and the 'representatives of the hopes, expectations and trust' of urban residents. He added that while the 'soul of our country resides in villages', the 'dreams, aspirations and future possibilities of our citizens take shape in cities'.

The Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a 'special attachment' to Uttarakhand, having spent significant moments of his life in the state and being familiar with every region. The remarks anchored the state's urban agenda within the central government's framework.

Policy backdrop

Dhami credited the Modi government with 'unprecedented work' in urban development, citing the Swachh Bharat Mission for fostering a new culture of cleanliness, the Smart Cities Mission for modern urban planning, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for affordable housing and the PM SVANidhi scheme for supporting street vendors.

The Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT were both launched in 2015 to drive technology-led infrastructure and basic services such as water supply and sewerage. PMAY (Urban) followed the same year for economically weaker households, while PM SVANidhi was introduced in 2020 for micro-credit to street vendors. Dhami said Uttarakhand is implementing solid waste management, open-defecation-free drives and legacy waste processing under this composite framework.

Stakeholders and impact

The Chief Minister also flagged tourism momentum, saying the Char Dham Yatra has drawn more than 30 lakh pilgrims in 45 days this year, which he termed a new record. He said Adi Kailash, which earlier received around 500 visitors, is now seeing nearly 1,000 pilgrims daily, while Maa Purnagiri temple has recorded 24 lakh darshans. He added that over 23 crore tourists have visited Uttarakhand in the past four years.

On state-specific initiatives, Dhami said Uttarakhand has set up Urban Health and Wellness Centres in municipal bodies for the first time to serve poor families in cities. He also cited the Aashray Yojana for stray cattle shelters and an Animal Birth Control programme for the rising stray dog population, alongside steps on green cover and pollution control.

The event was attended by Cabinet Ministers Subodh Uniyal and Ram Singh Kaira, MLA Premchand Agarwal, and mayors including Shambhu Paswan, Renu Bala Gupta and Ashutosh, along with mayors from various cities across the country.

What's next

Implementation timelines and fund utilisation for the three Rishikesh projects will be the immediate test of the announcements, alongside the rollout of additional Urban Health and Wellness Centres across municipal bodies. The next set of Char Dham and tourism updates from the state will indicate whether the pilgrimage momentum cited by the Chief Minister sustains through the season, with implications for both urban services planning and the hill economy.