Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami laid the foundation stone for the second phase, kilometre one to 10, of a road widening project in the Sahaspur Assembly constituency of Dehradun district. The work will cover the stretch from Mithiberry to Parwal up to Chandni Chowk and from Parwal to Vigyan Dham Jhajhra. The project will be built at a cost of Rs 120.34 million (mn). The phase aims to improve connectivity across the constituency. The Chief Minister said that strong road infrastructure underpins the state’s development and that improved links will accelerate local trade, tourism, education and healthcare, thereby strengthening the regional economy. He approved related civic measures including a drinking water supply scheme, drainage works, construction of a cremation ground referred to as Mokshdham, and embankment or pushta works. These measures were presented as addressing both urban and rural needs. Key works for the Sahaspur constituency include construction of a tubewell for Bhauwala, a drain from Daru Chowk to the Keshavwala river to mitigate waterlogging, and a Mokshdham near Arcadia Badowala Park. Additional projects comprise embankment and road construction from Asanpur to the cremation ground, embankment works on the Asan River at Umedpur and Parwal to protect agricultural land, embankment for the Badowala residential area in Municipal Ward number 93, and road and embankment work in Pondha to prevent land erosion. The package was presented as a coordinated response to local infrastructure deficits. The state government expressed a commitment to expanding basic infrastructure and highlighted a special focus on women’s empowerment. The Chief Minister pointed to the Lakhpati Didi scheme and said women organised through self help groups are producing competitive products, which was described as bolstering the hill economy by enabling market access for local producers. Such measures were cited as part of broader inclusive development aims. He said that under the Prime Minister India had become the fourth largest economy, that Uttarakhand’s economy had grown 26-fold and that reverse migration had risen by 44 per cent. Budget size had crossed Rs one trillion (tn) and preparations were under way for 10,000 to 12,000 recruitments this financial year while the government signalled support for a uniform civil code and strong action against illegal encroachment and the land mafia.