Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 4 (ANI): Marking four years of the BJP-led government in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said that the state has made significant progress in industrial growth, job creation, and grassroots empowerment.

Drawing inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, CM Dhami said his government focused on supporting youth employment and self-help groups, backed by financial assistance packages worth around Rs 1,000 crore.

Dhami, who became the 12th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand in 2022, is currently serving his second consecutive term. He is also the second-longest-serving Chief Minister since the state's formation.

Speaking to ANI, Dhami said, 'Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we made efforts to ensure that industries in our state function smoothly. We also focused on creating jobs for the youth and supporting self-help groups, such as Yuvak Mangal Dal and Mahila Mangal Dal, which include many women. We provided financial assistance to these groups in various ways. In total, around Rs 1,000 crore was given as a package. This helped revive employment and self-employment, which were in a very poor state at the time.'

He emphasised that the government has worked continuously to accelerate the state's development through decisive action and by pushing long-pending infrastructure projects forward.

'Over the years, we have worked continuously to move the state forward by making new decisions and pushing ahead with development projects. Many of these projects have made good progress,' Dhami said.

Listing key infrastructure initiatives, Dhami said projects such as the Jamrani Dam, Song Dam, and the Lakhwad Project gained momentum during his tenure.

'Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we received approvals from the Government of India for several important projects that had been stalled for a long time. We also secured approval for AIIMS and obtained land from the HMT factory for development. In Udham Singh Nagar, our proposed industrial smart city was also approved,' he said.

The Chief Minister also highlighted significant improvements in air connectivity across the state, including enhanced services from Dehradun, Pantnagar, and Pithoragarh.

'Air connectivity has improved significantly. Flights from major cities now operate at our airports. Dehradun Airport has undergone expansion and a full renovation. Work is also underway to develop Pantnagar Airport into an international airport. Air services have started for Pithoragarh, and heli services are being launched for key locations across the state,' Dhami said.

On the employment front, Dhami stated that the government has placed a strong emphasis on job creation. 'We have mainly also focused on employment, and nearly 24,000 appointments have been completed,' he added. (ANI)