Namaz will not be allowed on roads, land jihad will not be tolerated: Dhami

my uttarakhand news Bureau
Khatima, 25 May: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today interacted with the panchayat and urban local body representatives during the ‘Jan Jan Ki Sarkar, Mukhyamantri Samvad’ programme held at the Development Block Auditorium here. During the interaction, he asserted that the state government is committed to preserving Uttarakhand’s cultural identity while ensuring rapid development and transparent governance.
The CM devoted a significant portion of his address to issues related to law & order, religious encroachments and educational reforms. He said the government has taken strict action against what he described as ‘planned land jihad’ and had freed more than 12,000 acres of government land from encroachment. He claimed that nearly 550 illegal mazaars had been removed and illegal mosques constructed on forest land had also been demolished.
Dhami said the government has issued strict directions against the occupation of roads for religious activities and has imposed a ban on offering namaz on roads in a manner that disrupts traffic movement. Referring to reforms in madrasa education, he said the State Government had recently decided to abolish the Madrasa Board and only those madrasas would now be allowed to operate which follow the curriculum prescribed by government-recognised education boards. He said more than 250 illegally operated madrasas have already been shut down across the State.
He said the government’s objective is to establish ‘temples of education’ where children receive quality education in accordance with prescribed standards rather than being pushed towards separatist thinking in the name of education. He also said the government was taking strict action through ‘Operation Kaalnemi’ against individuals attempting to defame Sanatan culture through fraudulent practices.
On recruitment reforms, Dhami said the State Government has enacted what he termed the country’s strictest anti-copying law to ensure transparency in recruitment examinations and curb the activities of cheating mafia. He said more than 32,000 youths have secured government jobs during the last four years and over 100 members of examination rigging and copying syndicates have been jailed after the implementation of the law. He alleged that under previous governments, organised cheating had become an industry in Uttarakhand.
The CM also highlighted the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand and said the law has been introduced to ensure equal rights and justice for all sections of society. Referring to cases of alleged mass and forced religious conversion, he said the government is taking strict action against those involved and asserted that such activities would not be tolerated in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand.
Addressing the public representatives, Dhami stressed that the soul of India resides in its villages and the real progress of the nation would be possible only when villages and small towns become strong, prosperous and self-reliant. He said the Central Government under the leadership of Narendra Modi is working with the vision of making India a developed nation by 2047 and unprecedented efforts are being made in the field of rural development through schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), housing schemes and sanitation initiatives.
The CM also claimed that the state government is simultaneously strengthening the rural economy through initiatives such as the ‘One District Two Products scheme’, ‘House of Himalayas’ brand, ‘State Millet Mission’, ‘Apple Mission’, tourism and film policies, homestay promotion and solar self-employment schemes. He said these efforts have not only strengthened the rural economy but have also created employment opportunities for local youth in their native villages, thereby helping curb migration from hill areas. He added that more than 2.65 lakh women in the State have become ‘Lakhpati Didis’ through self-help groups and livelihood programmes.
Highlighting infrastructure development in the region, Dhami said the government has improved connectivity through the construction of the Gadarpur-Khateema bypass, bridges and expansion of road networks. He said a modern bus stand has been constructed in Khateema while educational and healthcare facilities have also been strengthened through the establishment of a Kendriya Vidyalaya, a modern ITI, polytechnic college and a 100-bed hospital complex. He also referred to the setting up of ‘Saathi Kendras’ to assist students preparing for competitive examinations.
The CM reminded that the government is working on a grand military memorial between Khateema and Tanakpur and has started postgraduate classes in Government College Khateema. He added that the construction of the satellite centre of AIIMS Rishikesh in Kichha at a cost of around Rs 351 crores is progressing rapidly and an international-level airport was being developed in Pantnagar. He also referred to projects including a plastic park in Sitarganj, an aroma park and electronics manufacturing cluster in Kashipur, a multimodal logistics park in Pantnagar and an industrial smart city in Khurpia.
Dhami said the State Government had resumed work on the Jamrani multipurpose dam project to address irrigation and drinking water problems in the Terai region and had increased the sugarcane support price by Rs 30 per quintal to benefit farmers. Several public representatives and senior administrative and police officials were present during the programme.