Dehradun: The Central Government has extended special support to Uttarakhand for the effective and timely implementation of the Watershed Development Component 2.0 (WDC–PMKSY 2.0) under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan informed Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami about the scheme’s progress and the assistance being provided by the Centre through a letter. Chief Minister Dhami expressed his gratitude to the Union Minister for the support.
According to the Union Minister, 15 watershed development projects have been approved in Uttarakhand for the project period from 2021–22 to 2025–26. These projects will cover treatment of 0.84 lakh hectares of land. The total cost of the projects is ₹232.26 crore, of which the Central Government’s share is ₹209.03 crore. So far, the state has received ₹106.05 crore as central assistance.
Although the original project period was scheduled to end on March 31, 2026, the Government of India has temporarily extended it until September 2026 to ensure that all approved watershed development works are completed on time and with quality.
For the first and second quarters of the financial year 2026–27, the Centre has approved an additional ₹31.58 crore in assistance for Uttarakhand. The first installment of ₹15.79 crore has already been released, which is expected to accelerate project implementation and ensure uninterrupted execution.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan also stated in his letter that under the proposed WDC–PMKSY 3.0, project allocations to states will be based on performance. Timely implementation, effective utilization of central assistance, and successful completion of projects will be among the key evaluation criteria.
The Union Minister requested the Chief Minister to issue necessary directions to the concerned departments and officials to ensure timely execution of the approved projects and transparent and efficient utilization of the funds. He also assured Uttarakhand of full technical and administrative support from the Department of Land Resources.
