Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 2 Jun: District Magistrate (DM) Ashish Chauhan has directed all the departments concerned to propose public-centric, practical and innovative schemes while preparing the District Plan for the financial year 2026-27. Chairing a review meeting on the district plan structure, he said the plan should be prepared with a focus on balanced and holistic development of the district while incorporating suggestions and proposals received from local public representatives.
The DM asserted that every department must mandatorily include at least one innovative and sustainable project in the District Plan and submit a detailed report outlining its expected outcomes. Emphasising on the need to strengthen the economy of Dehradun, Chauhan said that the proposed schemes should be aligned with local requirements and designed in a manner that directly benefits the common people.
The DM also instructed the officials to accord top priority to the completion of ongoing and pending projects. He also made it clear that only those projects should be included in the District Plan for which land is available, there are no disputes and which can be completed within the current or next financial year. He warned that failure to complete projects on time despite the availability of adequate funds would be treated as a serious lapse on the part of the department concerned and that accountability would be fixed with strict action taken against those responsible.
Stressing the importance of self-employment and economic self-reliance, Chauhan directed the departments to prioritise proposals related to industry, agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, dairy development and livelihood enhancement. He also stressed on the promotion of activities such as blueberry farming, trout fish production, poultry farming and sugarcane cultivation to strengthen the rural economy and generate sustainable livelihood opportunities. He further called for convergence of various Central and State Government schemes to achieve more effective and impactful outcomes.
The DM also directed the Education Department to ensure that no school in the district remains deprived of basic facilities such as electricity, drinking water and toilets. He said all the essential infrastructure and amenities must be made available in educational institutions without exception.
Highlighting the significance of effective implementation, Chauhan said the State Government has made a provision of nearly Rs 100 crores under the District Plan for the development of Dehradun and its impact must be clearly visible on the ground. He instructed departments to select projects strictly on the basis of public welfare and ensure that the benefits of these schemes reach the people within the current financial year itself.
Chief Development Officer (CDO) Abhinav Shah presented detailed information regarding the development-oriented proposals submitted by various departments under the District Plan. At the conclusion of the meeting, the DM also stated that a physical verification of all works proposed under the District Plan would be carried out. He cautioned that in case any department is found to have failed in the proper utilisation of funds in accordance with public interest, strict action would be initiated against the officials concerned.
During the meeting, the District Economics and Statistics Officer informed that an outlay of Rs 99.39 crores has been approved for Dehradun district for the financial year 2026-27. Of this, Rs 37.19 crores has been earmarked for honorarium payments and committed schemes, Rs 10.39 crores for the completion of ongoing and incomplete projects, Rs 15.93 crores for self-employment-related schemes and Rs 36.25 crore for new and innovative projects.
Among those present at the meeting were Deputy Divisional Forest Officer Neeraj Kumar Sharma, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Manoj Sharma, DRDA Project Director Vikram Singh, District Development Officer Sunil Kumar, Chief Education Officer VK Dhaundiyal, District Economics and Statistics Officer Shashi Kant Giri and other district-level officers from various departments.
