Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday underscored the state’s advancements in the energy sector, particularly in natural gas and oil—highlighting the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in driving innovation and international collaboration, reported ANI.
Speaking at the ‘All India Oil Sector Meet,’ Dhami emphasized the critical need for aligning economic growth, environmental sustainability, and technological advancement to establish India as a global leader in the oil and gas industry. The event brought together experts and stakeholders from across the country to exchange ideas on the sector’s current challenges and future direction.
As per the news report, the Chief Minister noted that Uttarakhand is actively involved in international research collaborations in natural gas, particularly through institutions like ONGC, as part of broader efforts to promote technological advancement and sustainability.
“Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, we’ve seen a surge in research and global partnerships in natural gas and energy. The momentum in this sector is promising,” Dhami said. “By integrating economic development with ecological balance and technological innovation, we can position ourselves as a global force.”
He also highlighted several initiatives aimed at sustainable urban development and green infrastructure. In Dehradun, the Chief Minister inaugurated projects worth ₹190 crore, which include an electric vehicle charging station and a smart automated parking system—steps aimed at reducing the city’s carbon footprint and improving urban infrastructure.
To further reinforce its green credentials, the Uttarakhand government has begun measuring the Gross Environmental Product (GEP), a metric intended to prioritize environmental conservation alongside economic progress.
In addition, the state is pushing forward with energy diversification through pump storage systems and hybrid wind-solar projects, part of a broader strategy to strengthen its renewable energy portfolio.
Earlier in the day, Dhami also paid tribute to former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao on the eve of his birth anniversary. In a post on social media platform X, the Chief Minister praised Rao’s transformative leadership, which played a pivotal role in India’s economic liberalization during the early 1990s.
“Heartfelt tributes on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister, the late P.V. Narasimha Rao Ji. Under your visionary leadership, India took historic steps toward economic liberalisation. Your contributions to national development continue to inspire us,” Dhami wrote.
Rao, who was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in March 2024 by President Droupadi Murmu, served as India’s ninth Prime Minister from June 1991 to May 1996. He is widely credited with initiating key reforms that dismantled the License Raj and opened the Indian economy to global markets.
Born on June 28, 1921, in Karimnagar (present-day Telangana), Narasimha Rao began his career as an advocate and agriculturist before entering politics. Over the course of his career, he held numerous important positions, including Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (1971–73), Minister of Human Resource Development, Defence, Home Affairs, Law, Education, and more.
From 1984 to 1985, Rao held the posts of Home Minister and later Minister of Defence, before taking over the Human Resource Development portfolio. His contributions laid the foundation for India’s transition to a liberalized economy and continue to influence policy even today.
