Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday and sought the Centre’s support for several infrastructure and development initiatives in Uttarakhand, including priority for establishing defence equipment manufacturing units in the state.
During the meeting, the chief minister highlighted Uttarakhand’s strategic location, the availability of trained human resources and developed industrial infrastructure, as he requested for policy support from the Centre for the setting up of defence production units. He also proposed the establishment of defence equipment production hubs in Kotdwar, Haridwar and Dehradun.
Dhami further requested the extension of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor, currently operational between Delhi and Meerut, to Haridwar and Rishikesh to improve regional connectivity and facilitate travel for pilgrims and tourists.
The chief minister also sought the Centre’s cooperation in developing a bi-deck bridge in the Raiwala area and expanding the Chinyalisaur airstrip in Uttarkashi district.
Dhami said several development projects have progressed with central assistance and thanked the PM for the ₹500-crore financial assistance sanctioned for the Haridwar Kumbh-2027 and for the feasibility study being conducted by the National Water Development Agency under the river interlinking project.
He also appreciated the approval of ₹100 crore for the development of Chaurasi Kutia within Rajaji National Park and the signing of an MoU regarding the Naini-Saini airstrip in Pithoragarh. He further acknowledged the Centre’s cooperation in facilitating helicopter services during the Char Dham Yatra.
The chief minister also informed PM Modi about various tourism and development initiatives being undertaken in the state, including efforts to develop destinations such as Chopta, Duggalbitta, Patwadanger and the Sharda Corridor region as global wedding destinations, while Ramnagar, Dehradun, Rishikesh and Triyuginarayan are emerging as popular wedding tourism sites.
Dhami proposed launching seaplane services at Tehri Lake and requested the construction of a Delhi-Haldwani expressway to improve connectivity with Kashipur, Rudrapur, Pantnagar airport and Jim Corbett National Park in Ramnagar.
Among other things, the CM has also sought for early inauguration of the Rishikesh-Byasi section of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project, along with proposals for new rail lines and doubling of the Haridwar-Dehradun railway line to strengthen connectivity in the hill state.
Dhami also invited the PM to visit Uttarakhand for inaugurating major projects, including the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway and the Tehri Pumped Storage Plant, as well as laying the foundation stone for the expansion of Pantnagar airport and the Banbasa land port project along the India-Nepal border.
The chief minister also briefed the Prime Minister on several initiatives and reforms undertaken by the state government to promote tourism, rural development and employment generation. He said more than 6,000 homestays have been registered under the state’s Homestay Scheme to boost tourism and provide livelihood opportunities to local residents. To support these homestays, the state government has launched the country’s first free marketing portal, ‘Uttarastays’, which allows local hosts to promote their properties directly to tourists.
Dhami also informed the Prime Minister about the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for apples, cherries, plums and pears at Chaubattia in Almora district to strengthen the horticulture sector and provide training to farmers.
He said the state government is promoting adventure tourism activities such as river rafting, paragliding and kayaking, while also developing winter tourism to increase tourist footfall during the off-season.
The chief minister added that under the Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme, employment opportunities are being created in border villages by promoting local culture, cuisine and handicrafts.
Dhami also highlighted several schemes aimed at strengthening the rural economy and promoting entrepreneurship, including the Mukhyamantri Saur Swarojgar Yojana, which encourages solar energy-based self-employment projects, and the Mukhyamantri Udyamshala Yojana, which provides incubation support to entrepreneurs.
He further informed the Prime Minister that the state government has launched the Devbhumi Parivar Yojana to create a comprehensive digital database of families in Uttarakhand to ensure transparent delivery of welfare schemes.
The chief minister also said that the state has implemented the Agniveer Reservation Rules-2025 to provide 10% reservation in state services for former Agniveers. In addition, the Uttarakhand Jan Vishwas Bill, 2026, has simplified administrative procedures by amending several laws and repealing more than 500 obsolete legislations, while reforms have also been undertaken in the industrial, labour, mining, revenue and urban development sectors to further improve ease of doing business in the state.
