Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired a state cabinet meeting at Banbasa in Champawat district on Sunday, a first for the state.

No state cabinet meeting has been held outside Dehradun before. The meeting took place at the NHPC complex in Banbasa, near the India-Nepal border.

Dhami said cabinet meetings will no longer stay confined to Dehradun. They will be held in different districts so local issues reach the government directly.

“Border areas are not merely the geographical boundaries of the state but are also an important link to its security, culture and development,” the chief minister said.

He said the goal is to bring governance closer to people. Holding meetings across districts will help the government understand local conditions and public expectations faster.

Banbasa is home to the Maa Purnagiri Dham temple. A tribal festival is also being held in the area, which Dhami cited for choosing the venue.

The government said balanced development across all regions of Uttarakhand remains its key commitment, from border villages to the plains.