Dehradun, Sept. 7 -- Empowerment of women is among the state government's top priorities, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Sunday, highlighting the state's 30% horizontal reservation for women in government services and the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code as key measures aimed at strengthening women's rights and independence. Dhami said the government is also focusing on improving women's economic independence through self-help groups. More than 300,000 women in the state have become 'Lakhpati Didis', he said, adding that their financial self-reliance was helping strengthen their families as well as contributing to the state's economy. He reiterated the government's commitment to the empowerment and welfare of women, saying continued efforts were being made to provide greater opportunities for social and economic advancement. Dhami was speaking at the Gorkhali women's Haritalika Teej festival held at Jaswant Singh Ground in Garhi Cantt, Dehradun. He also announced that the Haritalika Teej festival would be organised on a much larger scale at the government level in the future. Extending his greetings to women of the Gorkhali community, Dhami said Haritalika Teej symbolised the penance, faith, dedication and strength associated with Goddess Parvati. He said the festival inspired people to pursue their goals with determination and unwavering faith. He said traditional festivals such as Teej were an important means of connecting younger generations with their culture and roots. Women, he added, were the key custodians of culture, traditions and values, and played a crucial role in passing the community's language, folk traditions and cultural heritage from one generation to another. He also highlighted the contribution of the Gorkhali community to state's development. He said the community was known for courage, loyalty, hard work and patriotism, while Gorkha soldiers demonstrated exceptional valour and made sacrifices in defending the country....