Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Saturday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 1.27 billion in Uttarakhand during the ‘Uttarakhand Investment Festival 2025’ held in Dehradun. The event also celebrated the realisation of Rs 1 trillion worth of investments in the hill state, following commitments made during the 2023 Global Investors Summit.

The event was attended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, and other dignitaries.

Speaking at the festival, Mr Shah praised the state government for converting investment memoranda of understanding into action. “At the 2023 Global Investors Summit, Uttarakhand secured MoUs worth Rs 3.56 trillion. Today, Rs 1 trillion of those investments have materialised, creating over 81,000 jobs. Ancillary industries are expected to generate another 250,000 employment opportunities,” he said.

Mr Shah lauded the Dhami administration for balancing industrial growth with environmental sustainability. “Attracting investment to a landlocked, mountainous state like Uttarakhand is no small task. The Chief Minister has succeeded through transparent policies, swift execution, and strategic planning,” he added.

Highlighting Uttarakhand’s spiritual and cultural heritage, he referred to it as ‘Dev Bhoomi’, stating that nothing could impede its progress. “This land hosts one Jyotirlinga, three Shakti Peethas, the Char Dham, Panch Prayag, Panch Kedar, and Sapt Badri. Uttarakhand embodies a fusion of nature, culture, and spirituality,” he remarked.

Mr Shah announced infrastructure projects including the Rs 2.7 billion Govind Ghat–Hemkund Sahib ropeway and the Rs 4 billion Sonprayag–Kedarnath ropeway to further enhance tourism. “With the completion of the Char Dham all-weather road project, year-round tourism in Uttarakhand will become a reality,” he said.

The Home Minister criticised opposition parties for obstructing development works, stating, “Disrupting state development must end. All political parties share responsibility for supporting progress.”

On national development, Mr Shah asserted that the Modi government had dispelled the notion that industrial growth and welfare cannot coexist. “From free food grains to over 800 million people, free medical treatment under Ayushman Bharat, to tap water and toilets for millions of households — these initiatives prove inclusive growth is achievable,” he added.

He further noted that Uttarakhand benefits from stable policies and sector-specific initiatives in tourism, AYUSH, startups, film policy, and logistics. Ayurveda, yoga, organic farming, and natural therapies, he said, would form the pillars of the state’s future development.

Comparing with the previous UPA administration, Mr Shah stated that while they allocated Rs 530 billion to Uttarakhand between 2004 and 2014, the Modi government had provided Rs 1.86 trillion from 2014 to 2024. “This includes Rs 310 billion for roads, Rs 400 billion for railways, and Rs 1 billion for airport development — more than four times the previous funding,” he said.

Mr Shah concluded by saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation for a developed India by 2047, a vision that depends on the comprehensive development of smaller and eastern states such as Uttarakhand.