CM participates in Amar Ujala Samvad in Doon
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 24 Jun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the Amar Ujala Samvad programme organised at Hotel Gateway on Haridwar Bypass Road here today. Managing Editor of Amar Ujala, Tanmay Maheshwari welcomed CM Dhami at the event. The CM congratulated Amar Ujala for the interactive event. On this occasion, he also honoured actor Rakesh Bedi with the Amar Ujala Lifetime Achievement Award and released the Amar Ujala Uttarakhand Achievers special edition.
Interacting with consulting editor of Amar Ujala, Vinod Agnihotri, and other senior journalists from Amar Ujala Group during the interactive session, the CM stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government is moving forward with heritage and development together. He stated that the system of assessing Gross Environment Product (GEP) has been introduced in the state and the government is progressing with a balance of ecology, economy and technology. Considering the difficult geographical conditions of Uttarakhand, development is being advanced with future needs in mind. He emphasised that the model of development is now being prepared keeping the next 25 to 50 years in perspective.
Dhami pointed out that the disasters faced last year were of a different nature, with cloudbursts in the mountains leading to sudden floods that destroyed everything in their path. He said this is a subject of research and has been raised before the Government of India. He added that rivers and streams have changed their courses over time, sometimes returning to their old paths, which has affected settlements. The state government is working to ensure immediate relief and quick response systems for disasters. He reminded that the Silkyara tunnel rescue operation which ran for 17 days to rescue the trapped workers has been presented as an example presented at the BRICS summit.
Speaking on the Char Dham Yatra, the Chief Minister said it is a journey of faith and devotion. Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, grand reconstruction works are being carried out at Kedarnath and Badrinath, and all-weather roads have made travel easier. He said the government continuously works for the convenience of pilgrims and begins preparations for the next yatra as soon as one concludes. This year, since the yatra began on 19 April, more than 40 lakh devotees have completed the pilgrimage. In the border region of Adi Kailash, where earlier only 400 to 500 people visited, the number has risen to 45,000 this year. He added that pilgrims are now also coming for winter yatras in Uttarakhand.
Dhami reiterated the government’s resolve to preserve the original character of Devbhoomi and ensure that faith and devotion are not tampered with. He said it is the responsibility to safeguard Uttarakhand for future generations and prevent illegal encroachments. He clarified that action against encroachment is taken on the basis of revenue records and will continue in future.
In response to a question on Uttarakhand becoming the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Dhami said that the implementation of the UCC in Uttarakhand marks the beginning of realising the vision of a stronger and more unified India. He explained that the ideological foundation of the government had several core concepts to be brought to ground reality, and UCC was one of them. He reminded that the BJP had promised to implement UCC during its campaign for the 2022 Assembly elections. He reminded that many people had then doubted whether it could be implemented and dismissed it as a mere political announcement. However, the government fulfilled its commitment under the leadership of the Prime Minister, and today UCC stands implemented in Uttarakhand, moving towards adoption across the country. Dhami recalled that on the day the draft was prepared and the Bill was presented, it was said that the stream of UCC would flow like the Ganga, benefitting all states of the nation in the times to come.
The CM also mentioned the employment initiatives during the interaction and reminded that in the past four years more than 33,000 youths have secured government jobs, all through a transparent process. He noted that the state has enforced the country’s strictest anti-cheating law, which has increased confidence among the youth. He said schemes such as the Chief Minister’s Self-Employment Scheme and the Homestay Scheme are connecting youths with self-employment opportunities. He emphasised that the Prime Minister has a special bond with Uttarakhand and holds the state close to his heart.
In response to a question regarding the Ankita Bhandari murder case, Dhami reminded that immediately after the incident, all the three accused were arrested and sent to jail. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted under the leadership of a woman officer of DIG rank, which worked extensively for six to seven months, calling each person connected with the matter and seeking any evidence available. On this basis, a chargesheet of more than one thousand pages was filed in court, detailing the police investigation, and the three accused were sentenced to life imprisonment. He noted that life imprisonment is no small punishment. He added that when fresh controversy arose recently with the circulation of another audio clip, some parties and people attempted to politicise the matter, repeatedly tarnishing the memory of the victim. Dhami said he would not act on political demands but would act on the wishes of the victim’s parents. After speaking to them, he was told they wanted a CBI inquiry, and accordingly the state government recommended it to the Government of India, which registered the case. He said the CBI investigation is now underway and more facts will emerge in due course.
On this occasion, Cabinet Ministers Ganesh Joshi and Rekha Arya, Media Advisory Committee Chairman Prof Govind Bisht, Amar Ujala Managing Director Tanmay Maheshwari, Group President Varun Maheshwari, Director General, Information, Banshidhar Tiwari, Editor-in-Chief Dr Indushekhar Pancholi, Consulting Editor, Amar Ujala, Vinod Agnihotri, resident editor Anup Vajpeyi and others were present.
