New Delhi: Chief Minister Mr. Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog held in New Delhi on Saturday, chaired by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. He emphasized that due to rapid urbanization in the state, the issue of urban drainage has become a serious challenge. He requested the formulation of a special plan at the national level to develop a sustainable urban drainage system.
The Chief Minister also requested the inclusion of lift irrigation in the guidelines of the “PM Agriculture Irrigation Scheme”. He pointed out that due to the unique geographical conditions of Uttarakhand, currently only 10% of the hilly area is under irrigation. He also mentioned that special efforts are being made to conserve rainwater through the “River Linking Project,” as well as by constructing check dams and small reservoirs, to connect glacier-fed rivers with rain-fed ones.
The Chief Minister highlighted two major upcoming religious events: the “Maa Nanda Raj Jat Yatra” in 2026, known as the Mountain Kumbh, and the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar in 2027. He sought support to make both events grand and divine.
He stressed that the demographic dividend plays a crucial role in building a developed India, and it must be harnessed within a specific timeframe. The next ten years are extremely important for the state to fully utilize this advantage, especially through promotion of self-employment at various levels.
The Chief Minister noted that while the primary sector contributes only 9.3% to Uttarakhand’s GDP, around 45% of the population is engaged in it. To address this imbalance, the state has launched several projects aimed at promoting high-value agriculture over low-value agriculture, including the Apple Mission, Kiwi Mission, Dragon Fruit Mission, Millet Mission, and the promotion of aromatic farming.
He affirmed that under the strong leadership of the Prime Minister, India is rapidly progressing towards becoming a developed and self-reliant nation by 2047. The Uttarakhand government is also fully committed to this goal, with a focus on financial management and discipline. Over the past three years, the state’s economy has grown by approximately 1.5 times. In the SDG ranking released by NITI Aayog for the year 2023–24, Uttarakhand secured the first position, and in the “CareEdge Rating Report” released this year, it ranked second among small states in terms of good governance and financial management. Under the Prime Minister’s guidance, a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has been implemented in the state. In the past three and a half years, over 23,000 youths in the state have successfully secured government jobs.
The Chief Minister mentioned that the 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand were organized with the theme of “Green Games”, aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision of Net Zero. Around 4,000 medals were made from recycled electronic waste, and the entire energy requirement was met through solar energy. This initiative succeeded in preventing the emission of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide.
He stated that under the Prime Minister’s guidance, the winter tourism initiative has shown encouraging results. The PM’s visit to Harshil and Mukhba significantly benefited the tourism sector in the state.
To attract tourists through adventure tourism, eco-tourism, and high-end tourism, a comprehensive policy has been formulated and implemented on the ground. The state is placing special focus on sustainable and inclusive development based on innovation and technology. Uttarakhand has also launched the Gross Environment Product (GEP) Index, modeled after GDP, to help align economic growth with environmental conservation.
He concluded by saying that a Geothermal Energy Policy will soon be implemented in the state. Additionally, the Chief Minister’s Solar Self-Employment Scheme has been launched, under which beneficiaries are earning over INR 1 lakh per month.
