New Delhi, Jan 4 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the 'Delhi Shabdotsav 2026' on Sunday. Outlining his governmentâ??s priorities, the Chief Minister asserted that his administration is committed to preserving the demographic values and cultural identity of Devbhoomi.

He also blamed the previous dispensations for the mushrooming illegal constructions, leading to several encroachments in the hilly areas.

Participating in the event on third and final days, CM Dhami said that land encroachment is a well-planned conspiracy, under which vast swathes of government land were encroached upon by placing blue, yellow, and green sheets on it.

â??We launched anti-encroachment drive, evicted squatters and warned illegal occupants to vacate the illegally occupied govt land. Some vacated the encroached land, but in some places, the encroachment was removed with the help of the administration,â?? he told the audience.

CM Dhami further informed that the state administration freed more than 10,000 acres of encroached land from the illegal occupants in Devbhoomi.

â??We have also launched a campaign against those who are disturbing the demographic balance and defaming the holy places. Many names have been added to the family registers in Uttarakhand since 2003. We have recently taken a decision to seal the family registers of all the districts in one place. They will be investigated,â?? he stated.

Regarding the closure of the Madrasa Board, he said that the law has been brought for improvement of minority education.

â??We have decided that after July 1, 2026, such madrasas will be closed where the curriculum prescribed by the Uttarakhand government is not taught. We have already closed more than 250 illegal madrasas,â?? he said and warned against the misuse of educational institutions as a place for spreading radical and fundamentalistic thoughts.

â??Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists, and Christians have also been included in this. They will also benefit from the law brought for the improvement of minority education,â?? he added.

CM Dhami said that when the Ayushman Yojana (health scheme) was launched, the estimated cost was about 100-200 crore rupees, but its expenditure swelled into several hundred crores. An enquiry showed irregularities, following which an SIT (Special Investigation Team) was formed.

Shedding light on his vision for Devbhoomi, he said, â??We want to create a clean and pure Uttarakhand for future generations. We don't want to give children an insecure future. Therefore, encroachments are being removed and developmental works are being done according to dharma (righteousness).

/IANS