REPORT : ALOK SEMWAL
Dehradun. There is a particular kind of governance that looks good in press releases but rarely shows up on the ground. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has been trying hard to make sure his administration doesn’t fall into that trap. In his latest round of decisions, he has cleared financial approvals totalling ₹53.56 crore — spread across districts, covering needs as varied as city traffic in Dehradun, unlit villages in Champawat, flood-ravaged homes in Chamoli, and a cutting-edge forensic laboratory for the tax department.
It is the kind of list that tells you something about a government’s priorities — and in this case, the range is hard to ignore.
Dehradun Gets Its Biggest Slice — ₹33.45 Crore for City Mobility
Anyone who has sat in Dehradun’s traffic on a weekday morning knows the problem well. The city has grown faster than its roads, and the result is gridlock that costs commuters hours every week. Under the City Mobility Plan, six infrastructure works within the assembly constituency have been greenlit at a cost of ₹33.45 crore — the single largest allocation in this round. The goal is straightforward: make it easier for people to get from one part of the city to another without losing half their day.
Tax Department Gets Teeth — Digital Forensic Lab Approved at ₹11.27 Crore
This one is worth paying attention to. The State Tax Department will now have a dedicated Digital Forensic Laboratory, built in partnership with the National Forensic Sciences University in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. A five-year agreement is already in place, and ₹11.27 crore has been cleared to get things moving. What this means in practice is that investigators chasing tax fraud and financial irregularities will no longer have to work with outdated tools or send evidence elsewhere for analysis. The lab brings that capability home — and that should worry anyone who thought digital paper trails were easy to hide.
Chamoli’s Grief Acknowledged — ₹2 Crore in Relief
Last monsoon hit Chamoli hard. After August 5, 2025, floods and landslides tore through the district, flattening 85 homes entirely and killing 17 people. The families left behind have been waiting. The Chief Minister’s Relief Fund will now release an additional ₹2 crore to reach those who lost the most — the families of the deceased and those whose houses simply no longer exist. It will not undo what happened, but it at least signals that the government has not moved on while they are still picking up the pieces.
74 Forgotten Hamlets in Champawat to Finally Get Power — ₹5 Crore
Seventy-four hamlets in the Champawat assembly constituency have been waiting for electricity for years — in some cases, longer than that. That wait is now set to end, with ₹5 crore sanctioned to extend power supply to these areas. On top of that, ₹60.20 lakh has been approved to build a concrete road connecting Gram Panchayat Hauli Piplati to Jyosuda hamlet. For residents who have managed without both electricity and a proper road, these two approvals together amount to a significant shift in daily life.
Almora: Poles, Power, and a Tribute
In Almora’s Someshwar constituency, 200 long-span electricity poles will go up across villages under Nyaya Panchayat Kuwali — ₹46.01 lakh has been set aside for the work. Separately, the Salt constituency will see a memorial gate built in honour of the late former MLA Surendra Singh Jeena, with ₹41.07 lakh approved for the construction. Jeena was a well-regarded figure in the region, and the gate is meant to be a lasting acknowledgment of his public life — something more permanent than a speech.
A Statue for Babasaheb in Haridwar — ₹37.12 Lakh
On a triangular road island near the highway in village Saliyar, Jhabrera constituency, a statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar will be installed. The ₹37.12 lakh approved for this project will fund a landmark that millions of passing travellers will encounter. In a state that sees enormous footfall year-round, placing the image of the man who wrote India’s Constitution at a visible public junction carries a message — one that does not need much explaining.
Retired Officer Faces Prosecution — No Safe Harbour After Service
Perhaps the sharpest decision in this batch has nothing to do with money. CM Dhami has sanctioned prosecution against Kishan Chand, a retired Deputy Forest Conservator from the Indian Forest Service, who faces charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The Enforcement Directorate had been pushing for this, and the approval under Section 218 of the BNSS now clears the way for a formal case. The message is deliberate: putting in your papers does not close the file on corruption committed while in uniform.
Taken as a whole, Thursday’s decisions cover a lot of ground — literally and figuratively. A capital city getting better roads, hill villages getting their first light bulb, grieving families getting some financial support, and a retired officer finding out that the law has a long memory. That is not a bad day’s work for any government, and for Uttarakhand, it reflects the kind of ground-level governance that residents have long been asking for.
