Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s Plans to Boost Uttarakhand’s ‘House of Himalayas’
On Friday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a comprehensive review of the Rural Development Department at the Secretariat. He emphasized the full implementation of the plan to elevate Uttarakhand’s brand ‘House of Himalayas’ to a global level by September. Special focus was directed towards enhancing the quality, packaging, and marketing of products.
Dhami underscored the importance of establishing Rural Business Incubator Centers across all districts, similar to those in Hawalbagh and Kotdwar. These centers will promote youth and self-help groups in self-employment. He stressed that the names of schemes for rural areas should be simple and effective, as the soul of India resides in the villages.
He directed officials to identify 15 important public schemes and make arrangements for district-wise ranking for their successful implementation. Senior officials were instructed to visit villages regularly, and block-level officers were to attend Gram Sabha meetings. Special emphasis was placed on the construction and maintenance of Amrit Sarovars and tree plantations on their banks.
During the review of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Dhami stressed the importance of quality and timeliness in road construction, warning of strict action against negligence. He announced plans for surprise inspections of construction works. The Chief Minister also directed that road connectivity under the ‘Mukhyamantri Gram Sampark Yojana’ should be expedited.
The meeting revealed that Uttarakhand ranks first in approving targets to training institutes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Rural and Deendayal Upadhyaya Rural Skill Scheme. The state’s excellent performance in the NRLM scheme has led to continuous bonus receipts, with a sales target of 25 crores set for the next three years through ‘House of Himalayas.’ Under the Lakhpati Didi Yojana, 93,000 women have achieved ‘Lakhpati’ status, with a goal of 2.50 lakh women by 2026.
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin has seen the construction of 66,596 houses, and NRLM has facilitated the formation of 66,459 groups benefiting 5.06 lakh families. Additionally, 1,845 settlements have been connected under PMGSY, benefiting a population of approximately 22 lakh.
