Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and discussed a range of issues concerning the hill state. The Chief Minister thanked the Finance Minister for the financial support given to Uttarakhand and congratulated her on the successful implementation of the GST reforms during the meeting.
Dhami emphasised the state's difficulties, stating that it is urgent to upgrade urban drainage systems in Uttarakhand due to the state's ecologically sensitive terrain, high rainfall, and the rapidly growing urban population.
To improve stormwater drainage in ten of the state's most rain-affected districts, detailed project reports (DPRs) totalling Rs 8,589.47 crore have been prepared, he told the Finance Minister. He pleaded with the Centre to authorise these projects under the Special Assistance to States Scheme for Capital Investment.
Additionally, the Chief Minister pushed for Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) to be approved sooner. Proposals totalling Rs 850 crore for the Public Financial Management Strengthening Project and Rs 800 crore for Water Supply Improvement are still pending approval, whereas the Uttarakhand Climate Resilience Development Project has already been approved.
Along with raising the cap on externally aided projects from 2023–2024 to 2025–2026, Dhami also requested approval for four significant projects. These include the Water and Sanitation Urban Infrastructure Development Project (Rs 2,000 crore), the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project-III (DRIP-III) (Rs 424 crore), the Uttarakhand Climate Resilient Intra-State Power Transmission System Development (Rs 3,638 crore), and the Uttarakhand Power Distribution Reliability Improvement Project (Rs 1,566 crore).
"These projects will significantly strengthen the state’s infrastructure, water resources, energy systems, and public service delivery," Dhami said. Finance Minister Sitharaman assured the Chief Minister of all possible support from the Centre.