Dehradun, Nov 9 (IANS) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday extended heartfelt congratulations to the people of the state on the occasion of the 25th Foundation Day and called on the public to take a pledge to make the state “harmonious, strong and self-reliant”.

Uttarakhand, often referred to as Devbhoomi (the land of Gods), was carved out of Uttar Pradesh on November 9, 2000, becoming the 27th state of India.

The day stands as a tribute to its journey from a people’s movement to a model of balanced development, faith, and modernity.

Extending greetings in a video message, CM Dhami said, “It is a matter of immense pride for all of us that in the last 25 years, Devbhoomi Uttarakhand has ensured new development milestones and made commendable progress in the fields of health, education, tourism, culture, environmental protection and employment, which we have all been witnesses to.”

He credited the people and thousands of protestors, who fought for the formation of Uttarakhand, for the achievements of the state in the past 25 years.

“Our heritage, cultural heritage, our language and our deeds, the hardworking god-like people have always proved that Uttarakhand is a land of infinite possibilities. Devbhoomi Uttarakhand is famous as the land of liberation as well as the land of wisdom,” he further said.

“On this silver jubilee anniversary, let us all together take a pledge that Devbhoomi Uttarakhand become a harmonious, strong and self-reliant Uttarakhand and be established as the leading and most respected state of the country,” CM Dhami added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Dehradun on Sunday to join Uttarakhand’s Silver Jubilee celebrations and inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various development projects worth more than Rs 8,140 crore, including the inauguration of projects worth more than Rs 930 crore and the foundation stone laying of projects worth more than Rs 7,210 crore.

The projects to be inaugurated by PM Modi relate to key sectors such as drinking water, irrigation, technical education, energy, urban development, sports, and skill development.

He will also release a support amount of Rs 62 crore to more than 28,000 farmers directly into their bank accounts under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana.

–IANS

sd/dpb