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Chief minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday inaugurated Chaupal–2026 under the “Chief Minister’s Udyamshala Yojana” at the Mukhya Sevak Sadan located at the chief minister’s Camp Office. On the occasion, he said that more than 13,000 entrepreneurs across the state have so far been supported through the Chief Minister’s Udyamshala Yojana. In addition, more than 8,000 women entrepreneurs and members of Self-Help Groups have been connected with entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities.During the inaugural session, the chief minister announced that a state-level marketing centre would be established at 13 Gaon in IT Park, Dehradun, to facilitate the marketing of products made by Self-Help Groups from all districts of Uttarakhand.Addressing the inaugural session, the chief minister said that today, the villages of Uttarakhand are not only becoming participants in the development of the state but are also playing an important role in building a self-reliant Uttarakhand through their capabilities and hard work. He said that the enthusiastic youth and enterprising women of the state possess the desire and skills to achieve something meaningful, while Uttarakhand’s local products have immense potential to reach markets across the country and the world. What is needed is to provide the right direction to this talent.With this vision, the state government has been working to take the “Chief Minister’s Udyamshala Yojana” forward. Through the scheme, the government aims to ensure that the youth of Uttarakhand become job creators rather than job seekers. At the same time, efforts are being made to strengthen the economic condition of farmers and women. The Chief Minister’s Udyamshala Yojana is an important means of translating this vision into reality.He said that through the scheme, rural entrepreneurs are being provided with the necessary training, financial assistance, technical guidance and support in connecting with markets to start and expand their businesses.The chief minister said that on the one hand, more than 5 lakh rural women in the state have been connected with over 70,000 Self-Help Groups through the National Rural Livelihood Mission. On the other hand, more than 3 lakh women have successfully become Lakhpati Didis. He said that the women of Uttarakhand are turning everything from hill spices, mandua (finger millet), jhangora (barnyard millet), pulses, honey, pickles and jams to handicrafts, woollen products and local art into successful enterprises.The chief minister said that the government is working to take products made in villages to major cities across the country. In this direction, an umbrella brand named House of Himalayas has been created.He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given the nation the mantras of Vocal for Local, Local to Global and Atmanirbhar Bharat. The state government is working to translate these mantras into reality. The government wants that whenever someone purchases a product from Uttarakhand, they should also experience the hard work, culture, traditions and fragrance of the soil of the hills in that product.For this reason, facilities such as rural haats, marketing centres, collection centres and agriculture service centres are being strengthened across the state so that farmers and entrepreneurs can access better markets and receive better prices for their products.He said that a major objective of promoting rural entrepreneurship is also to check migration from the hills. The government wants young people to not be compelled to leave their villages in search of employment. Because when villages become strong, Uttarakhand becomes strong.In this direction, the government is also working through the Gramothan Project (REAP) to connect extremely poor families in villages with livelihood opportunities and increase employment opportunities in rural areas.The chief minister said that “Chief Minister’s Udyamshala Chaupals” are being organised in all 13 districts of the state. The objective of these chaupals is to ensure that more and more people become aware of government schemes and are able to benefit from them. For the same purpose, publicity vans are also being sent to villages so that information about the Chief Minister’s Udyamshala Yojana reaches the last person in society.
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During the programme, the chief minister felicitated Lakhpati Didis and women entrepreneurs. He also released a book and annual report prepared under the Uttarakhand State Rural Livelihood Mission. In addition, he launched the Integrated Agriculture Cluster Basic Training and Module, the Infant and Young Child Feeding Module, and the Module on Prevention and Management of Anaemia among Women and Children.Cabinet Ministers Shri Bharat Chaudhary, Shri Ganesh Joshi and Shri Khajan Das, Rajya Sabha MP Shri Naresh Bansal, MLAs Shri Umesh Sharma Kau and Smt. Savita Kapoor, Secretary Rural Development Shri Dheeraj Garbyal, and other concerned officials were present on the occasion.
