Khatima, July 26, 2026: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday attended a Tharu community dialogue programme in Khatima and used the occasion to highlight the state government’s focus on tribal welfare, education, housing and livelihood support. He also felicitated BSF Everest climber Mohan Singh Rana and ITBP Everest climber Tila Sen for their remarkable achievements.
Dhami said the dialogue was not just a formal gathering, but a meaningful bridge between the government and the Tharu society. He added that his connection with the Tharu community is longstanding and deeply personal, and that his bond with Khatima will always remain strong.
The Chief Minister said the state has taken strict action to prevent forced or unlawful religious conversions and has put in place a strong anti-conversion law. He also said the Centre and the state are jointly running a campaign against drug abuse.
He said the government is committed to improving the quality of education and ensuring that tribal communities are connected with opportunities in education, health, employment and basic infrastructure. He noted that the rules under the Atal Housing Scheme were made more practical and housing assistance increased so that more families could benefit. In Udham Singh Nagar alone, assistance worth more than ₹3 crore has already been provided under this scheme.
Dhami said the district has also seen wide benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Janman Awas Yojana. He said 824 houses were completed in the first phase and 101 houses in the second phase under the Janman scheme. He added that the government is strengthening tribal education through ashram schools, hostels and ITI institutions, while ashram schools are being upgraded up to Class 12 and Eklavya Model Residential Schools are helping provide quality education to tribal children.
He said a girls’ hostel has been sanctioned in Khatima at a cost of ₹4 crore, a school and hostel are being built in Bazpur at a cost of more than ₹16 crore, and a 100-bed boys’ hostel is under construction in Gadarpur. He also said that work worth more than ₹2 crore is underway to upgrade the Tharu Government Inter College, including beautification of the sports ground, modernization of the auditorium and repairs to the building.
The Chief Minister said special attention is being given to making Tharu women self-reliant. He said more than ₹1 crore has been provided as revolving fund support and over ₹8 crore as investment assistance for small livelihood activities. He added that more than ₹10 crore worth of projects under the Chief Minister’s Border Area Development Programme were successfully completed between 2020 and 2025, and that a Tharu Development Bhawan is being constructed in the Sitarganj assembly area.
Dhami further said that more than ₹2 crore has been approved for infrastructure in tribal areas under the Social Welfare Department. He said financial assistance of up to ₹50,000 is being provided for the marriage of daughters from tribal families. He added that special tribal welfare officers have been appointed in Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun, Pithoragarh and Chamoli to speed up development work in tribal regions.
During the programme, Tharu community representatives thanked the Chief Minister and said he has always remained connected to the community’s joys and sorrows. They said the work done to preserve Tharu culture and traditions has been historic.
