Dehradun, March 23 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Monday that his government has made rapid progress towards realizing the dreams of statehood activists and restoring the state's glory over its four-year tenure.
Dhami was addressing the 'Char Saal Bemisaal' event held at the Parade Ground here to mark the completion of his government's four years.
He noted that exactly four years ago, the people of the state shattered a long-standing myth by electing a BJP government for a second consecutive term.
He added that, at that very moment, he had pledged to work ceaselessly until the dreams of the statehood activists were realized and the glory of Uttarakhand was fully restored.
"Today, with a sense of complete satisfaction and pride, I can affirm that we are making steady progress towards transforming our resolve into reality, and the tangible results of these efforts have already begun to manifest," he said.
Earlier, Dhami also participated in a roadshow extending from Kanak Chowk to the Parade Ground.
Dhami further said that his government is working to give concrete shape to the words spoken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Baba Kedar shrine in 2021 that "the third decade of the 21st century will belong to Uttarakhand."
He highlighted that, under Modi's leadership, the state government has strived to elevate the standard of living of its citizens.
Dhami remarked that, over the last four years, the state has witnessed several historic achievements, such as the successful hosting of events such as the G-20 meetings, the National Games, and the Global Investors Summit.
Dhami claimed that over the past four years, the state's economy has grown by more than 1.5 times, per capita income has increased by 41 per cent, established over 20,000 new industries, and the number of startups has risen from 700 to 1,750.
He added that an additional 2.65 lakh women have become 'Lakhpati Didis', and a 44 per cent increase has been recorded in 'reverse migration' (people returning to the state).
He highlighted that, by implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the state government has established a single set of laws applicable to citizens of all religious faiths, a move that has been widely appreciated by people with a nationalist outlook across the country.
He noted that, in recognition of these achievements, Uttarakhand has secured top rankings in various indices and categories released by the Central Government and NITI Aayog.
During the ceremony, Dhami laid the foundation stones for and inaugurated schemes worth ₹401 crore for Dehradun.
He remarked that while previous governments merely made announcements, a new work culture has now been ushered in, one where the state government not only lays the foundation for a project but also completes it within the stipulated timeframe.
The chief minister affirmed that the state government is striving to preserve the state's demographic balance. The government has implemented anti-conversion and anti-riot laws and has reclaimed over 12,000 acres of encroached government land.
The BJP leader added that, in addition to these measures, 'Operation Kalnemi' is being conducted against individuals who defraud people by operating under false identities or disguises.
Finally, the chief minister announced that, starting this July, all Madrassas in Uttarakhand will exclusively teach a curriculum recognised by the government board.
In his address, the chief minister accused the Congress party, alleging that during their tenure, the mining mafia exploited our natural resources unchecked.
Furthermore, rampant corruption prevailed under the guise of issuing liquor licenses, and they even misappropriated the revenue generated from these activities.
He said that, thanks to the government's strict and transparent policies, the revenue currently being generated from the excise and mining sectors is manifold higher than what was collected previously.