Uttarakhand CM meets Union Minister Shivraj Chouhan, discusses strengthening state's agricultural system, accelerating rural development

New Delhi [India], December 9 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Union Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday. The meeting focused on strengthening Uttarakhand's agricultural system, accelerating rural development, and rebuilding infrastructure damaged by the recent natural disaster.
According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), during the meeting, approval was granted for the construction of 184 rural roads in the state, with a total sanctioned amount of Rs 1,700 crore, covering a combined length of 1,228 kilometres.
The Chief Minister also held an extensive discussion with the Union Minister on matters related to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). He informed that the recent natural calamity had severely damaged 946 roads and 15 bridges in the state, requiring nearly Rs 650 crore for reconstruction. He emphasised that such destruction poses a major challenge for a resource-constrained hill state like Uttarakhand, and sought special support from the Centre to ensure the swift restoration of affected infrastructure. The Chief Minister further requested necessary financial assistance for repairing nearly 5,900 houses damaged during the disaster.

CM Dhami said that, under the Prime Minister's guidance, continuous and effective efforts are underway to strengthen the agricultural sector in Uttarakhand. He highlighted that about 90 per cent of the state's farmers fall under the small and marginal category, and crop damage caused by wild animals remains a major challenge.
In this context, he expressed gratitude to the Central Government for including fencing works under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)-DPR scheme. Stressing the need for a dedicated budget to ensure crop protection and improve production, he urged the Centre to allocate Rs 200 crore annually for the next five years.
As per the CMO, in response, the Union Minister assured that advance funds would be released soon, enabling large-scale implementation of fencing activities. The Chief Minister also requested the timely release of the approved Rs 98 crore for the Swachhata Action Plan-Namami Gange Clean Campaign under the PM-RKVY scheme for the year 2025-26.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan responded positively to the proposals presented by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and assured that the state's requirements would be taken up on priority, with the Central Government extending all possible support.
Present on the occasion were MP Mahendra Bhatt, Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Devesh Chaturvedi, CEO of PMGSY Alok Kumar Pandey, Uttarakhand's Resident Commissioner Ajay Mishra, and other senior officials. (ANI)