New Delhi [India], December 18 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has voiced his support for the recently tabled 'One Nation, One Election' bill, stating that it will save significant resources and money otherwise spent on conducting multiple elections. He also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this initiative.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Dhami said, "One Nation, One Election is a revolutionary decision. Multiple elections require us to repeatedly face the Model Code of Conduct, which consumes a considerable amount of time, energy, resources, and money. With One Nation, One Election, all this will be saved, and I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this visionary step."
Notably, the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, were formally introduced in the Lok Sabha following a vote. A total of 269 members voted in favour, while 196 opposed the bills.
In a significant announcement, Dhami stated that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented in Uttarakhand from January 2025. According to a press statement issued on Wednesday, all preparations for the implementation have been completed, making Uttarakhand the first state to adopt the UCC after independence.
During a meeting of the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB) held at the Secretariat on Wednesday, Chief Minister Dhami highlighted that the state government has undertaken all necessary preparations to fulfil its commitment to implementing the UCC.
The Chief Minister recalled that in the first cabinet meeting of the newly-formed government in March 2022, a decision was taken to constitute an expert committee to study and implement the UCC in the state. Following this, a five-member expert committee, chaired by retired judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, was formed. Based on the committee's recommendations, the Uniform Civil Code Bill 2024 was passed by the State Legislative Assembly on February 7, 2024.
The bill subsequently received the President's assent, and its notification was issued on March 12, 2024. In line with this, the rules under the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand 2024 Act, have also been finalised, ensuring that the state is fully prepared for implementation in January 2025.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to provide proper training for personnel responsible for implementing UCC provisions and to ensure all necessary facilities are arranged. He further emphasised maximising online services to enhance public convenience.