Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari told a public function in Dehradun that the Tanakpur-Lipulekh road via Pithoragarh would be completed within the next year. He stated the project, valued at Rs 52 billion (Rs 52 bn), comprised 370 kilometres of roadway, of which approximately 200 kilometres had been constructed and 129 kilometres continued to face significant obstacles. The minister said officials were working to overcome those obstacles and accelerate remaining work. He emphasised reverence for Mansarovar and noted that the route had previously required travel via Nepal and China, prompting the government to undertake the challenging task of building a direct road. The scheme aims to provide direct access from Tanakpur to Lipulekh through Pithoragarh and to strengthen connectivity in the border region. The minister framed the work as part of broader infrastructure and strategic priorities under the Prime Minister's leadership. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami praised the Prime Minister's leadership and outlined a vision to make the State a model of development and heritage preservation. He expressed confidence in the ruling party's prospects for the 2027 assembly elections and framed the state's progress as integral to that campaign. Local administration was described as coordinating with central agencies to ensure project completion. The Prime Minister inaugurated the six-lane Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, a 213 kilometre access-controlled route developed at a cost of Rs 120 billion (Rs 120 bn). The corridor, which crosses Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, is expected to reduce journey times between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours at present to around two-and-a-half hours. Officials characterised the corridor as a major addition to regional transport infrastructure and part of concurrent efforts to upgrade connectivity.