Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the Uttarakhand State Foundation Day celebrations in Dehradun today. On this occasion, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, along with several other distinguished dignitaries, was also present.
Addressing the gathering on this occasion, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that today is a day to remember and express gratitude to our revered late leader, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. For many years, the people of this region had been struggling for the creation of a separate state of Uttarakhand, but governments led by opposition parties did not allow the state to be formed. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee fulfilled this long-standing demand by establishing Uttarakhand on 9 November 2000.
Shri Amit Shah said that while Atal Bihari Vajpayee created Uttarakhand, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has worked towards transforming and developing the state. A developed Uttarakhand is the first milestone in the journey towards a developed India. He said that our government has decided to celebrate Uttarakhand State Foundation Day as an occasion of pride, achievement and resolve. We take pride in the divine land of Uttarakhand and in the decision taken by our revered Atal Bihari Vajpayee to establish the state. We are equally proud of the progress being made towards building a developed Uttarakhand under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami. He further said that we resolve to make Devbhoomi Uttarakhand the first developed state in the journey towards a developed India by 2047.
Union Home Minister said that today is the day to take a pledge to fulfil the dreams of the people and youth of Devbhoomi who have made supreme sacrifices in the service and protection of Bharat Mata. We must resolve to preserve our cultural heritage and the environment of Uttarakhand while transforming the state into a developed state. We must also resolve to inspire the younger generation to follow the path of patriotism and valour.
Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the Centre and Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami in Uttarakhand, efforts are being made for the development of the state. Our government has ensured that the development of Uttarakhand continues uninterrupted for the past 10 years. He said that today, in this relatively small state, the foundation stone laying and inauguration of a total of 63 development projects worth ₹1,508 crore have taken place. He further stated that today, 15 individuals will be conferred with the Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman, six individuals will receive the State Bravery Award, and two individuals will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. These honours symbolise that our government takes pride in recognising and felicitating those who have made significant contributions towards making Uttarakhand a great state.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Uttarakhand's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has grown by 50% since 2022. While GSDP is an indicator of the growth of a state's economy, the prosperity of its citizens must also grow alongside the state's development. Our government has worked towards increasing the per capita income in Uttarakhand by 40%. He said that the Global Investment Summit attracted investments worth ₹3.56 lakh crore to Uttarakhand. Of this, industrial projects worth ₹1 lakh crore have already been grounded and have commenced operations. Despite the limited time, the relatively small size of the state and several challenges associated with industrial development, Dhami government has successfully translated investments worth ₹1 lakh crore into projects on the ground.
Shri Amit Shah said that Uttarakhand is the first state in the country to have implemented the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on the ground. He stated that following its implementation, no one in Uttarakhand can now have multiple marriages, and no woman can be subjected to the indignity of triple talaq. He further said that, following Uttarakhand's example, 15 states across the country have now moved forward in the direction of implementing the UCC. Our government will implement the UCC in all the states governed by our party. He said that Uttarakhand has introduced such a stringent anti-cheating law that courts will now be able to punish those who cheat in examinations, facilitate cheating, or are involved in paper leaks without delay. He added that 35,000 people have been provided government jobs without any recommendations or favouritism. He also said that Uttarakhand has implemented an anti-conversion law, which has made religious conversions impossible in the state.
Union Home Minister said that over the past 10 years, our government has undertaken several major development initiatives in Uttarakhand. These include the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor, the Char Dham All-Weather Road Project, the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag railway line, the Tanakpur–Bageshwar railway line, and ropeway projects at Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib. He highlighted several other initiatives, including the Song, Jamrani and Kishau multipurpose dam projects; numerous drinking water, irrigation and energy projects; 30% reservation for women in government jobs; 33% reservation for women in cooperative societies; creation of more than 3 lakh Lakhpati Didis; the Homestay Scheme; 10% reservation for statehood activists; and an increase in the ex-gratia assistance to the families of martyrs from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh. He further stated that the government has established an AIIMS satellite center at Kichha and developed an Industrial Smart City. Under the Vibrant Villages Programme, development works worth ₹270 crore have been undertaken in 51 border villages. Initiatives such as House of Himalayas and the Millet Mission have also been launched to take locally produced Himalayan and traditional hill products to every corner of the country. He said that the opposition governments had undertaken only one task: preventing the formation of Uttarakhand.
Shri Amit Shah said that in the next elections, the people of Uttarakhand must decide whether they want a government led by our party that delivers development or a government led by the opposition party that engages in corruption. He said that for years, the principal opposition party had left Uttarakhand dependent on a money-order economy and migration. It had formulated policies under which the water of the hills never benefited the people of the region. He stated that our government has made every possible effort to curb migration and replace the money-order economy with an industrial economy that generates wealth and creates economic opportunities within the state. He further said that the tourism sector in Uttarakhand has witnessed a growth of 380%.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that opposition government did not build roads in Uttarakhand, arguing that roads would allow enemies to enter the country. Our government has built roads, and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has strengthened the country to such an extent that no one now dares to challenge India's borders. He said that whenever anyone attempted to violate India's borders, the Modi government responded by carrying out surgical strikes, air strikes and Operation Sindoor, entering enemy territory and eliminating the threat. He stated that previous opposition governments had kept Uttarakhand deprived of basic infrastructure and facilities out of fear of the enemy. Earlier governments treated border villages as the last villages of the country and left them to their fate. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi transformed these border villages into the country's first villages and launched the Vibrant Villages Programme. Through an investment of ₹270 crore, development initiatives have been undertaken in 51 border villages, encouraging young people to return to these villages.
Shri Amit Shah said that the issue of SIR (Special Intensive Revision) is currently being discussed. He alleged that the Leader of the Opposition's campaign is not a ‘Vote Bachao’ campaign but a ‘Ghuspaithiya Bachao’ campaign. He asked the people of Uttarakhand whether the electoral rolls should be made free of infiltrators and whether every infiltrator should be expelled from Devbhoomi Uttarakhand and India. He said that the false narrative being propagated by the Leader of the Opposition would not be accepted by the people of India. He further alleged that opposition parties were unwilling to abandon their politics of appeasement. He said that they were opposing the construction of the Ram Temple, allowing infiltration and pursuing policies that promoted demographic changes. He added that our party's government had put an end to all these practices. Shri Amit Shah said that over the past 10 years, our party's government had provided corruption-free governance in Uttarakhand. He accused the previous opposition government of being involved in several alleged scandals, including a sting controversy involving a former Chief Minister, allegations that the Secretariat had become a hub for commission agents, SC-ST scholarship scam, the liquor policy sting operation and the Kumaon foodgrain scam. He concluded by saying that our party's government has worked to ensure that every single rupee reaches the people of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that our party has achieved a hat-trick of electoral victories in several states, including Assam, Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. He said that the next turn is Devbhoomi Uttarakhand's, where our party aims to secure a third consecutive victory. He recalled that in the 2017 Assembly elections, our party secured 46% of the votes and won 57 seats. In 2022, it received 44% of the votes and won 47 seats. In 2027, people of Uttarakhand must ensure the return of our 'double-engine' government in Uttarakhand by giving us 50% of the vote and more than 60 seats. He said that our party wants to make this border state secure, prosperous and the cultural capital of the country. To achieve all three objectives, we seek the people's mandate and blessings for a third consecutive term.