Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday engaged with public representatives from all Municipal Corporations and Municipalities during the “Shahar Se Samvad” programme held at Chief Sevak Sadan. Organised by the Urban Development Department, the event saw the launch of three web portals aimed at supporting women’s self-help groups.
According to an official release, CM Dhami announced several new initiatives including the digitisation of municipal offices, construction of Silver Jubilee Parks, and creation of vending zones. He also proposed setting up training programmes for locals to open hi-tech salons—10 in each municipal corporation, 5 in each municipality, and 3 in each Nagar Panchayat. The state has also sought the Centre’s support in untangling tied funds.
The Chief Minister heard concerns raised by mayors and other elected representatives and noted their suggestions. Addressing the gathering, he emphasised the importance of urban governance.
“Urban Government, Municipal Corporations and Municipalities are the soul of any city. It not only works to provide basic facilities to the public, but also plays an important role in deciding the direction and condition of a city,” he said.
Highlighting infrastructural challenges, he admitted that more progress is needed in areas like drainage, waste management, and traffic congestion. “Traffic jams have now become a common challenge in cities, and to control them, the local bodies will also have to make special efforts. Along with this, we will also have to work with a priority towards environmental protection,” he added.
The CM called for joint efforts between local bodies and the government. “I want to assure you that our government is fully committed to providing all possible assistance to the municipal bodies.”
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, he said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken India to new heights of development and prosperity by following the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas.’”
He credited initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission, AMRUT scheme, and Smart City Mission for transforming urban India, and noted the success of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in providing homes to the underprivileged.
Dhami underlined that Uttarakhand is committed to effectively implementing central schemes. “Our government has worked to implement various central government schemes effectively in the state. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, every city's solid waste management and sanitation systems are being strengthened.”
He also emphasised cultural preservation under the theme “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi,” and acknowledged the role of women in the state's progress. “The women power of the state is doing excellent work across the state. The products they make are even better than the products of multinational companies. Women's power is the biggest strength of the state. Mothers and sisters have the biggest role in making Uttarakhand a leading state,” he stated.
Sharing the state’s development milestones, he noted, “As a result of these efforts, our state has reached the first position in the country in achieving the goals of sustainable development in the SDG Index Report of NITI Aayog.”
He highlighted job creation and legal reforms. “We have emerged as a leading state in providing employment to the youth. We have succeeded in bringing down the unemployment rate by a record 4.4 per cent in a year, which is more than the national average.”
He also mentioned preserving Uttarakhand’s cultural and demographic integrity. “Along with development works, our government is also fully committed to preserving the cultural values and demography of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand.”
He concluded by outlining recent legal reforms. “Not only this, on one hand, by implementing the Uniform Civil Code law in the state, we have taken a strong step towards building a harmonious society. By strict anti-copy law, we have broken the backbone of the copy mafia, as a result of which today more than 23 thousand youth of the state have got government jobs.”
“We are working under the 'zero tolerance' policy to eradicate the root of corruption. As a result of this, in the last three years, we have sent more than 200 people involved in corruption behind the bars of the jail,” he added.
