CM attends Jaunsar Bawar Folk Culture & Sports Festival
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 8 Jun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the Jaunsar Bawar Folk Culture Festival and Sports Festival-2026 organised at the Freedom Fighter Kedar Singh Stadium, Nagthat, here, on Monday. On this occasion, the Chief Minister paid floral tribute to the statue of freedom fighter, the late Kedar Singh.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for widening and asphalting of the a Motor Road, development of Primary School Nagthat as a model school, construction of a 60 metre span bridge on the Yamuna River on the Bagi-Kheda-Kota-Tapalad road of Block Chakrata, and completion of the Kyarapul-Damta-Munda Motor Road of Chakrata. He announced the construction of a motor road from Block 22 to Chhamari and Jakhani, construction of a motor road from village Sakrol to the second Siddha Peeth Shri Mahasu Maharaj, Thena, via villages Bhoda-Bhalnu and Utel under development block Kalsi, construction of a drinking water pumping scheme from Yamuna river in Kheda Ramarka-Kunna-Burashti under village Khabau under development block Chakrata, construction of a road from Jagthan Buraila road to village Udawa in development block Chakrata proposed in Chadalail and construction of a new link road from Dwina to Bisoi Khuna Alman to further strengthen the connectivity of the area.
Paying obeisance to Shri Mahasu Deity, the Chief Minister said that the Jaunsar Bawar Cultural Revival Committee has been working to preserve the heritage through this festival for the last 33 years. He said that Jaunsar-Bawar is known for its natural beauty and its hardworking, simple, and self-respecting people. Its folk culture fosters a sense of unity and inspires future generations to remain connected to their culture. He said that, in Jaunsar-Bawar, he gets a glimpse of the true spirit of Uttarakhand. Jaunsar’s culture, traditions, simplicity, intimacy, and respect for nature are the state’s rich heritage.
The Chief Minister said that the beats of Jaunsar’s Raso, the echo of Harul, and great traditions like Baund are a matter of pride for Uttarakhand and the entire country. He said that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many historic works are being undertaken for the respect, education, and overall development of the tribal community in the country. Numerous schemes such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools, Pradhan Mantri Janjati Unnat Gram Abhiyan, Van Dhan Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Tribal Development Mission have been implemented for the tribal communities in the country. He said that under the Prime Minister’s leadership, both the policies and destiny of the tribal community have changed.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has endeavoured to provide a platform for culture and heritage through the Uttarakhand Tribal Festival. The government has also decided to organise a Tribal Sports Festival annually. Under the Prime Minister’s Tribal Advanced Village Campaign, 128 tribal villages in the state have been identified. Under this initiative, work is underway to transform these villages by providing them with all basic amenities such as roads, electricity, water, and internet.
The Chief Minister stated that Eklavya Model Residential Schools are being operated in Kalsi, Mehravana, Bajpur, and Khatima, providing tribal children with free, world-class residential education. Construction of new Eklavya Residential Schools is also underway in Bajpur and Chakrata. The government also provides scholarships to tribal children from primary to postgraduate levels. Currently, 16 government Ashram Vidyalayas are being operated for educational development.
The Chief Minister stated that financial assistance of Rs 50,000 is being provided for the marriage of tribal girls. A corpus fund of Rs 1 crore has been established for the Tribal Research Institute. The Institute is continuously working to improve roads, water, and infrastructure in the Jaunsar-Bawar region. The state government approved 56 schemes worth approximately Rs 39 crore for the development of Chakrata. Of these, 51 have been completed and the remaining 5 will be completed soon. Projects worth over Rs 1,300 crore are underway to strengthen roads throughout the region.
The Chief Minister informed those present that the widening of National Highways 707 and 707A is progressing at a rapid pace. A permanent solution is being sought to the landslide problem near Jajared on the Kalsi-Chakrata road. Work is underway on the New Chakrata Township Hayyo Danda Pumping Scheme at a cost of approximately Rs 229 crore, ensuring a water-resilient future. Development work is also underway on a historic Rs 120 crore master plan for the grand development of the Shri Mahasu Devta Temple complex.
MLA Munna Singh Chauhan, former District Panchayat President Madhu Chauhan, incumbent Geeta Ram Gaur, Fair Committee President Naresh Chauhan, Fair Committee General Secretary Narendra Tomar, Khusiram Joshi, Jaipal Singh Tomar, Shourveer Singh Tomar, Balveer Singh Negi, and others were present on the occasion.
