Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday and thanked him for the central government's continuous support in the state's development. Inviting the prime minister to visit the state for inaugurations and foundation-laying ceremonies of key projects, Dhami said Uttarakhand has achieved many new milestones thanks to the assistance from the Centre.
He also presented PM Modi with a replica of the Maa Surkanda Devi temple from Tehri district, along with Badri cow ghee, five varieties of rajma sourced from different districts of Uttarakhand, and honey.
He specifically mentioned about ₹500 crore assistance for Haridwar Kumbh 2027, feasibility studies under the river-linking project by the National Water Development Agency, ₹100 crore approval for the development of Chaurasi Kutiya in Rajaji National Park, the MoU for Naini-Saini airstrip in Pithoragarh, and support for safe heli services during the Char Dham Yatra, and thanked PM Modi for the Centre's help.
During the meeting, Dhami also briefed PM Modi on the progress made based on his previous suggestions during visits to Uttarakhand. He informed that Uttarakhand is being developed as a global wedding destination. A dedicated wedding destination policy is also being formulated, he said.
He also mentioned the winter tourism in Uttarakhand, which he said has resulted in an increase in pilgrims. He stated that visits to Adi Kailash have risen from 1,761 in 2022 to 36,453 in 2025. In addition, the state government is also promoting adventure tourism activities such as river rafting, paragliding, and kayaking.
The chief minister also shared information about initiatives such as “One District–One Fair,” cluster school schemes, Bharat Darshan, and Uttarakhand Darshan programs aimed at boosting education, tourism, rural economy, and self-employment.
Request for RRTS extension to Rishikesh
In the meeting, Dhami also requested PM Modi for the extension of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) from Meerut to Haridwar and Rishikesh. He also sought policy support for establishing defence equipment manufacturing units in Uttarakhand. Besides, he also proposed the introduction of seaplane services in Tehri Lake and requested the construction of the Delhi–Haldwani Expressway.
Dhami also requested an early inauguration of the Rishikesh–Vyasi section under the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag rail project, construction of a road-cum-rail tunnel in the Tanakpur–Bageshwar line, survey for a new Bageshwar–Karnaprayag rail line, and doubling of the Haridwar–Dehradun railway line.
Uttarakhand's achievements under Dhami
Highlighting the achievements of his government, Dhami described the “Mukhyamantri Solar Swarojgar Yojana” as a game-changer for the rural economy, generating employment for thousands of families through solar energy projects. Under the “Mukhyamantri Udyamshala Yojana,” incubation support has been provided to numerous entrepreneurs, he said.
He also mentioned the implementation of the “Agniveer Reservation Rules–2025,” providing 10 per cent reservation to former Agniveers in state services. Additionally, through the “Uttarakhand Jan Vishwas Bill–2026,” processes have been simplified by amending various laws and repealing over 500 outdated regulations, Dhami told PM Modi.
