New Delhi, Nov. 18 -- Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has asked the Union defence ministry to retain the Air Force Audit Branch in Dehradun and allow the state Public Works Department (PWD) to continue managing maintenance of a major inter-district road ahead of the 2026 Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra.

The requests were made during a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, where the chief minister outlined the administrative and logistical reasons for keeping both matters unchanged.

According to state officials, Dhami said the Air Force Audit Branch has long operated from Dehradun and benefits from the city's strategic position. Uttarakhand shares international borders with China and Nepal, and the state hosts...