Today if there is one law that provides 100% security to women, it is the UCC: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami

Uttarakhand has taken several "historic" decisions, including implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), abolishing the Uttarakhand Madrasa Board, acting against encroachment on government land and ensuring transparency in appointments, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum.

Delivering his speech on the theme 'Uttarakhand's Next Leap: From Tourism Capital to an Economic Powerhouse', Dhami said that the state has become the first in the country to implement the UCC.

"We have made some laws. We have taken some historic decisions, and we took them first. A law like the UCC was first implemented in Uttarakhand, and this was our commitment to the people. Under the leadership of our respected Prime Minister Modi ji, we had said during the assembly elections that as soon as our government was formed, we would implement the UCC law.


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"We implemented the law, and today it has been almost one and a half years. Today, we are seeing positive results from it. At that time, some people had doubts about whether this law was targeting certain people. There were all kinds of misconceptions," Dhami told the gathering.

He said the implementation of the law has created an environment that provided security to women, children and the elderly.

"Today, especially if I talk about women, if there is any law that provides 100% security to 50% of the country's population, it is the UCC law," he said.

Dhami said the "Ganga of the UCC", flowing from Uttarakhand, was benefiting the entire country and that other states were moving in the same direction.

He said significant progress has been made in infrastructure and industrial development.

Referring to the state's investment summit, Dhami said the government has sought to change the perception that investment summits resulted only in the signing of MoUs.

"Last year, we organised an investment summit. People from more than 50 countries participated in the summit. There is a general perception that investment summits are held, MoUs are signed, and then the matter ends there. We have tried to change this perception. After the investors' summit we held last year, investments worth lakhs of crores have actually been made on ground," he said.

Dhami highlighted progress in railways, ropeways and roads, saying work on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway line was progressing at a fast pace.

"In the coming times, the 125-kilometre journey from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag will be completed much more quickly. This is going to provide a major boost to pilgrims coming to Char Dham and for tourism, as well as to the local people," he said.

Recalling the inauguration of the Dehradun-Delhi Economic Corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 last year, Dhami said travellers could now reach Haridwar or Dehradun by road in two to two-and-a-half hours.

"The number of pilgrims visiting the Char Dham has increased significantly. So far, 47 lakh people have undertaken the Char Dham Yatra because the all-weather road has now been constructed. A ropeway is also being constructed to facilitate travel to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib, the sacred religious site of the Sikh community," he said.

Dhami said Adi Kailash, situated at an altitude of 17,000 feet, has also seen a sharp increase in pilgrim numbers. While 500-600 people visited the site annually earlier, 57,000 people have visited so far this year, he said.

Crediting Modi for the increase, Dhami said: "Modi ji is the first prime minister of the country to have visited the place".

Dhami said the government's anti-cheating law, aimed at ensuring transparency in competitive examinations, has delivered results, with more than 100 people involved in corrupt practices being sent to jail in the state.

He said around 50,000 government jobs had been provided in Uttarakhand since its creation, including 34,000 in the past five years.

Dhami said the government has abolished the Madrasa Board and constituted an Education Authority in its place to ensure better education for different sections of society, including Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians.

He said the government also wanted to instil the feeling of "nation first" among children so they could contribute to nation building. Dhami also said that around 13,000 acres of government land has been freed from encroachment.

Focusing on winter tourism, launched by his government recently, Dhami said the weather in the state remains pleasant during the winter months.

"When people from across the country and around the world visit, they will experience a different kind of energy. They will gain spiritual energy. It will have a positive impact on their mind and body," he told the gathering.

He also said that his government has launched a policy on science, technology and innovation.

"Any state that works in the fields of science, technology, innovation and AI will be better prepared for the future and will help create a new generation equipped for the challenges ahead," he said.

He also gave an invitation to the audience for the Kumbh to be held in January next year. "I invite all of you to attend it. The Kumbh will be held in Haridwar. We have already started making preparations for the event," he added.