Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that the efforts toward women empowerment should not be politicised. Scroll down for details.
Published: April 28, 2026 6:15 PM IST
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami addressed the special session of the Assembly convened to discuss the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam under the theme “Respect for Women – Rights in Democracy.” He proposed that the House pass a unanimous resolution supporting the Central Government’s efforts to implement the bill at the earliest, which aims to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies.
Appealing to the House, the Chief Minister emphasised that there should be no politics when it comes to empowering women. He said that women are no longer limited to mere participation but are now taking on leadership roles. Recognising the strength of women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the Nari Shakti Vandan Act in 2023. This historic legislation provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. The Prime Minister had called for cooperation from all political parties and citizens to implement this major reform. However, the Chief Minister alleged that opposition parties together prevented this transformative bill from being passed in Parliament.
Opposition accused of spreading confusion
He stated that the opposition is attempting to mislead people on the issue of women’s reservation. He pointed out that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had clarified in the Lok Sabha that no state would face discrimination in seat allocation during delimitation, and that provisions for increasing seats were included in the bill. The Chief Minister added that despite ruling for decades, opposition parties never took concrete steps to grant women their rightful representation, and when such an effort was finally made, they obstructed it.
Central Government committed to women empowerment
The Chief Minister highlighted that since assuming office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritized women empowerment. As a result, the gender budget has increased more than fivefold in the past 11 years. In the 2026–27 budget, over Rs 5 lakh crore has been allocated for the welfare of women and girls, marking an increase of about 12 per cent compared to the previous year.
He also noted that initiatives like the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, launched in 2015, have led to significant improvements in gender ratio and girls’ education. Over the past 11 years, the gender ratio has improved by 12 points, and girls’ enrollment at the secondary level has increased by more than 3 per cent. Institutional deliveries have also risen from 61 per cent to 97 per cent during this period.
Benefits for Uttarakhand
Chief Minister Dhami stated that some people in Uttarakhand are also spreading misinformation about women’s reservation. He explained that after delimitation, the number of Assembly seats in the state could have increased to 105, out of which 35 seats could have been reserved for women. Similarly, the number of Members of Parliament could have increased from 5 to 7 or 8, benefiting everyone, but the bill was not passed due to opposition resistance.
He further added that the state government has allocated around Rs 20,000 crore under the gender budget this year, an increase of about 16 per cent from last year. Through schemes like the Uttarakhand State Rural Livelihood Mission, the government is working to make rural women self-reliant. Programs such as Sashakt Behna Utsav Yojana and Chief Minister Women Self-Help Group Empowerment Scheme are providing new opportunities to women. Self-help groups are being offered interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh, and under the Single Woman Self-Employment Scheme, financial assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh is being provided.
In conclusion, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government has taken bold decisions such as the abrogation of Article 370, the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and decisive action against enemies. Similarly, he expressed confidence that the government will ensure that women receive their full rights in the near future.
