Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami Meets PM Modi: Key Issues Discussed and Future Plans
The Chief Minister said that all Indians feel proud that 27 countries across the world have conferred their highest civilian honor upon the Prime Minister. He presented to the Prime Minister a replica of the Kartik Swami Temple, a coffee table book on the Adi Kailash Yatra, and local products from Uttarakhand including ghee from Kanar (Dharachula), red rice from Purola, Basmati rice, black cumin (Kala Jeera), Gandhrayan herb, Jambu herb, and local honey.
The Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to direct the concerned departments for infrastructure development of Haridwar Ganga Corridor, Rishikesh Ganga Corridor, and Sharda Corridor in Champawat, similar to the master plans implemented in Kedarnath and Badrinath Dhams, with financing through CSR funds.
He also urged the Prime Minister to instruct the concerned ministries for:
• Developing Nepa Farm in Udham Singh Nagar into a semiconductor hub by attracting semiconductor industries,
• Extending the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) between Delhi and Meerut up to Haridwar,
• Including route construction provisions in the Tanakpur-Bageshwar and Rishikesh-Uttarkashi rail projects.
The Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister about the upcoming Nanda Raj Jat Yatra to be held in Uttarakhand in 2026 and said that environmentally friendly infrastructure must be developed for its smooth conduct. He invited the Prime Minister to attend this grand Himalayan pilgrimage to be held in August 2026 and requested a financial assistance of ₹400 crore from the Centre for the same.
Regarding the Mahakumbh to be held in Haridwar in 2027, the Chief Minister said preparations have already begun. For the successful organization of the Mahakumbh, several works including repair of bridges, parking facilities, electricity, drinking water, toilets, transportation, and pedestrian paths for devotees need to be undertaken. He requested financial assistance of ₹3,500 crore from the Central Government.
The Chief Minister also requested the approval of a DPR worth ₹1,015 crore under the RDSS scheme for undergrounding HT and LT power lines and automating the power system in Rishikesh and Haridwar.
He mentioned that the state government is working to restore the unique heritage site Chaurasi Kutiya, near Rishikesh, to its original form. The required funding has already been arranged. He requested the approval of this proposal by the National Board for Wildlife.
To link glacier-fed rivers with rain-fed rivers, he informed the Prime Minister that a preliminary proposal for the Pindar-Kosi link project has been prepared. If the glacier-fed Pindar River is connected to the rain-fed Kosi, Gagas, Gomti, and Garud rivers, about 2 lakh people in 625 villages of Bageshwar, Almora, and Nainital districts would benefit from improved drinking water and irrigation. Additionally, cities like Garud, Kausani, Dwarahat, Ranikhet, and Almora would have better water supply for over 1.25 lakh people. The Chief Minister requested that this project be taken up under a special scheme of the Government of India.
He also urged the Prime Minister to approve the development of five hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 596 MW, based on the recommendations of the committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, Government of India.
The Prime Minister enquired in detail about the Char Dham Yatra, Adi Kailash Yatra, Nanda Raj Jat Yatra, upcoming Mahakumbh in Haridwar, and the Jal Jeevan Mission in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami of full support from the Central Government for the development of Uttarakhand.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
18 minutes ago
- Hans India
Congress chides BJP over BC reservation remarks
Hyderabad: The ruling Congress party has vehemently criticised the state president of the BJP following his comments suggesting it was 'impossible' to increase Backward Classes (BCs) reservation to 42% and include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Government Whip Aadi Srinivas, MLA Beerla Ilaiah, and numerous other Congress leaders condemned the remarks as an attempt by the BJP to obstruct progress on the reservation issue at both national and state levels. Minister Prabhakar asserted that the newly appointed BJP state president was 'revealing his true colours' shortly after assuming office. He expressed strong reservations over the claims, demanding an explanation for the assertion that a 42% increase in BC reservation and its inclusion in the Ninth Schedule were unachievable. Prabhakar reminded critics that similar action was successfully undertaken in neighbouring Tamil Nadu in the past. He challenged BJP MPs representing Telangana to resign if they truly believed the reservations could not be implemented, stating, 'We will see why the reservations are not implemented.' Pointing to the successful completion of the caste census, the Minister suggested that with credible state-level information, such a move was indeed possible. 'That is why the state government has conducted the survey and is awaiting Centre's decision for constitutional amendments and President's approval,' he stated. The Minister emphasised that the decision ultimately rests with the central government, reiterating the state government's commitment to 42% reservations. He urged all BC communities and caste groups in Telangana to 'observe the true nature of the BJP' and actively participate in safeguarding the reservation process. Prabhakar also noted that according to credible reports, the information regarding reservations is currently before the Supreme Court. He expressed a lack of faith in the BJP delivering justice to BCs, citing the party's failure to appoint a BC as its own state president. He concluded that 'social justice is possible only with the Congress.'
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
18 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Govt to send burn-specialist team to Dhaka to treat air crash victims
India is extending urgent medical support to Bangladesh in the aftermath of the tragic air crash in Dhaka, with a team of burn-specialist doctors and nurses scheduled to visit shortly, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. According to the MEA, "On July 21, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed condolences at the loss of lives in the tragic air crash in Dhaka and had conveyed assurances of support and assistance." The medical response forms part of these assurances. In a statement issued from New Delhi, the ministry added, "A team of burn-specialist Doctors and Nurses with necessary medical support are scheduled to visit Dhaka shortly to treat the victims. They will make an assessment of the condition of patients with recommendation for further treatment and specialised care in India as necessary. Additional medical teams may also follow depending on their preliminary assessment and treatment." The deployment of the medical team comes as part of India's response to the recent fighter jet crash in the Diabari area of Bangladesh's Dhaka, for which India has offered medical assistance to support the treatment of victims. Meanwhile, the death toll in the crash incident has risen to 27. "As follow up to the message from the Prime Minister of India, expressing condolence on the tragic Milestone School plane crash and offering all possible support & assistance, Indian High Commission has today formally written to Government of Bangladesh asking for sharing information on any critical medical support that may be needed to be arranged in India for those injured in the tragic incident," the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said in a statement on Tuesday. "The Indian High Commission will extend all necessary facilitation," it added. In a clarification, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the aircraft involved in the crash was a battle-ready fighter jet conducting a training mission. "The total number of deaths has risen to 27," said Saidur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, on Tuesday morning. Bangladesh is observing national mourning today, in memory of the victims of the fighter aircraft crash. A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 fighter jet crashed into the Milestone School and College campus in Dhaka on Monday afternoon. The jet was being piloted by Bangladeshi Air Force Flight Lieutenant Mohammad Towkir Islam Sagar, who had also died in the crash, the Daily Star reported. Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, also expressed his profound grief over the incident. In his condolence message on X, Yunus described the incident as an "irreparable" loss for the Bangladesh Air Force, as well as others affected. "I express my deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident of casualties caused by the crash of a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BJI training aircraft at the Milestone School and College campus in the Diabari area of the capital today. The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable. This is a moment of profound pain for the nation," Yunus stated in the post. The Chief Adviser further prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the crash. "I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and direct all concerned authorities, including hospitals, to address the situation with the utmost priority. The government will take necessary measures to investigate the cause of the accident and ensure all forms of assistance," the post added.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
C Raja Mohan writes: PM Modi in the UK: Let go of the bilateral baggage
The formal signing of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to London this week marks a long-awaited turning point in bilateral relations. The early 1990s opened a new opportunity for Delhi and London to move beyond the bitter legacies of Partition and the Cold War and build on the fresh possibilities offered by India's economic liberalisation. Only after multiple twists and turns has the wide gap between promise and performance in the relationship begun to close. If Queen Elizabeth II's 1997 visit to India — meant to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Independence — turned into a political fiasco, Modi's meeting this week with King Charles III could mark the beginning of a new and more productive phase. And it comes at a particularly opportune moment. The trade pact, along with expanding cooperation in technology, defence, and education, will help both countries navigate the turbulent effects of US President Donald Trump's political upheaval — whether one sees it as a revolution or a counterrevolution — on American global engagement and the international order. London, the US's closest and most enduring ally, and Delhi, which has built a new foundation for strategic cooperation with Washington, have both been significantly impacted by Trump's policies. Efforts to reboot India-UK ties began promisingly in the 1990s, when Conservative Prime Minister John Major strongly supported India's economic reforms. But the momentum faltered in the early years of the Labour governments (1997-2010), which continued to view India through an outdated colonial lens. What should have been a celebratory and reflective moment during the Queen's 1997 visit was marred by then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook's gratuitous meddling in the Kashmir issue and Indo-Pakistani relations. The resulting outrage was memorably captured by Indian Prime Minister I K Gujral, who called Britain a 'third-rate power'. Gujral was right to object to British overreach, but his characterisation of Britain was far off the mark. In the mid-1990s, the UK ranked among the world's top five economies, with a GDP exceeding the combined economic output of China, India, and Russia at the time. Britain had lost its empire but has remained a power of considerable global influence. Three decades later, it is still the world's sixth-largest economy. Its per capita income — around $55,000—compares starkly with India's $3,000, China's $14,000, and Russia's $15,000. The perception in Delhi of Britain as a 'diminished power' stands in sharp contrast to India's enduring view of Russia as a 'superpower'. This disconnect reflects a lingering anti-colonial mindset and a romanticised view of Russia in Delhi but has little grounding in present-day realities. It ignores the large interface between Indian and British societies that stands in contrast to a narrow government-to-government relationship with Moscow. One of the key drivers of the evolving India-UK relationship has been the effort to shed the lingering colonial condescension in London and entrenched anti-imperial resentment in Delhi. The focus has now shifted to building a pragmatic, forward-looking partnership based on shared interests. It has also meant confronting Delhi's own double standards. While the Indian elite never misses an opportunity to denounce British colonialism, it continues to seek validation from Britain and its institutions. Across the political spectrum, leaders denounce the English language but educate their children in English-medium schools, aspire for admissions to Oxbridge and the Ivy League, and dream of emigration to the Anglosphere. This is not even to mention the popular fascination with Britain in states like Bengal, Gujarat, and Punjab. Overcoming this love-hate relationship was not easy. But the return of the Conservatives to power in 2010 saw an effort to transcend the old entanglements of Kashmir and Pakistan. Prime Minister David Cameron's 2010 visit aimed to reboot bilateral ties. However, the British establishment was not fully prepared for a shift, and the UPA government in Delhi failed to seize the moment. The arrival of the Modi government in 2014 brought a new readiness to reassess Britain. Successive Conservative Prime Ministers — especially Boris Johnson — actively worked with India to imagine a shared future, outlined in the '2030 Roadmap for India-UK Relations'. The free trade agreement being signed this week, the 2024 technology security initiative, and the joint defence industrial roadmap announced this year are all fruits of that vision. Implementing the 2030 roadmap would not have been possible without greater responsiveness from the British establishment. Particularly significant in addressing Delhi's concerns about anti-India extremism is Prime Minister Keir Starmer's reining in the extremist factions within the Labour Party that had taken a hostile stance on India carrying forward the 2030 Roadmap initiated by the Tories. Modi's visit is also an opportunity to reflect on the deep economic and political turbulence within Britain. The Starmer government is struggling to revive a stagnating economy. It has abandoned the strategy of total reliance on services and launched an industrial policy aimed at innovation-led growth in eight key sectors, including advanced manufacturing, defence, clean energy, life sciences, and creative industries. This opens new possibilities for India-UK collaboration. Britain remains a global leader in higher education, scientific research, and technology — and Modi's visit could help identify fresh avenues for partnership in these domains. It is also set to play a critical role in European security amid American retrenchment under Trump. India should recognise the internal political fragmentation in Britain amid mounting pressures on the two-party system. Delhi should also be aware of the rising anti-immigration sentiment in a rapidly changing Britain. It should focus less on sending more students and workers to Britain. Instead, Delhi should be drawing British universities into India and building collaboration with British capital to expand opportunities at home. For too long, Delhi and London have underestimated what they could do for each other. Briefly before Independence, some in both capitals imagined that a partnership between a free India and a post-imperial Britain could preserve London's global stature, amid the rise of America and Soviet Russia, and facilitate India's emergence as a dominant power in the Indian Ocean and beyond. That bold vision was derailed by the trauma of Partition, the chaos of decolonisation, and the polarising currents of the Cold War. But eight decades later, India and Britain stand once again at an inflexion point. As middle powers, they are now better positioned to pursue a more modest, pragmatic goal: To act as force multipliers for each other in a world increasingly shaped by an assertive China and an unpredictable America. The writer is contributing editor on international affairs for The Indian Express and distinguished fellow at the Council on Strategic and Defence Research
