New Delhi, Nov 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Dehradun on Sunday to join Uttarakhand’s Silver Jubilee celebrations and inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various development projects worth over Rs 8,260 crore, an official said.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister will also release a commemorative postage stamp and address the gathering.

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, said the official.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami shared details of the preparations for the event and said, “We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the formation of our state, Uttarakhand. Today, we bow down in reverence to the sacrifices and dedication of those activists who devoted their everything and even laid down their lives to fulfil the dream of a separate Uttarakhand.”

He said people of the state are eagerly waiting to welcome PM Modi. “There is great enthusiasm among the public to welcome him, as under his vision, many development works have been executed in the state,” he said.

CM Dhami also highlighted that the BJP government has launched a comprehensive campaign against encroachments across the state.

“So far, more than 9,000 acres of land have been freed from encroachments. This is not merely an administrative action, but an effort to restore the dignity and discipline of Devbhoomi,” he said.

Uttarakhand was created on November 9, 2000, as the 27th state of India, after being carved out of northern Uttar Pradesh. Initially named Uttaranchal, it was officially renamed Uttarakhand in 2007.

The decision to create the new hill state followed decades of sustained activism and protests by the hill people, who felt neglected by the government in Lucknow and sought a separate state to preserve their distinct cultural identity and address specific developmental challenges related to the mountainous terrain.

–IANS

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