Banbasa (Uttarakhand) [India], October 4 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday chaired a State cabinet meeting at the NHPC complex in Banbasa, Champawat. Notably, this marks the first time a State cabinet meeting is being held outside the capital city of Dehradun, in Banbasa along the Indo-Nepal border.
The Chief Minister has taken a new initiative to take governance closer to the state’s remote and border areas. As part of this initiative, a state Cabinet meeting is being held today at the NHPC complex in Banbasa, Champawat district, along the India-Nepal international border, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dhami.
CM Dhami said Cabinet meetings will no longer remain confined to Dehradun and will also be held in different districts across the state. This will provide an opportunity for local issues, development potential and regional priorities to be placed directly before the government.
He said border areas are not merely the geographical boundaries of the state but are also an important link to its security, culture and development. The government’s priority is to connect people living in these areas with the mainstream of development by further strengthening basic infrastructure, employment opportunities, tourism and connectivity.
The Chief Minister said the government’s objective is to bring governance closer to the people. Holding Cabinet meetings in different parts of the state will help the government better understand local conditions, public expectations and development needs, and facilitate quicker decisions on these issues.
CM Dhami said balanced development across all regions of Uttarakhand remains a key commitment of the state government. Development will be taken forward at an equal pace from border villages to the plains.
Earlier on Friday, Dhami attended a meeting with BJP state morcha office-bearers, district morcha presidents, state cell cluster coordinators and co-coordinators, and state convenors of various cells at Hotel Le-Oval in Kuanwala, Dehradun, and welcomed the appointment of the party's new state in-charge and other organisational leaders.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of BJP Uttarakhand State President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt. Newly appointed state in-charge and national vice-president Ram Madhav, co-in-charges Arvind Menon and Bansuri Swaraj, and state general secretary (organisation) Phanindranath Sharma were also present.
Speaking after the meeting, CM Dhami praised the organisational experience of the newly appointed leaders and said their guidance would help strengthen the BJP's organisation in Uttarakhand and bring fresh energy among party workers.
"Our in-charge, Ram Madhav Ji, possesses vast and long-term experience. He has worked in many states, from Jammu and Kashmir to the northeastern states, gaining extensive experience in both the social and political spheres. His guidance and leadership will be immensely helpful to our state unit in expanding the organisation and instilling new energy among our party workers. We will benefit greatly from his support," Dhami said.