NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery holds meeting with CM
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 18 Oct: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a meeting with NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery at the Secretariat here today to discuss important issues related to the state. Welcoming the Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog to Uttarakhand, the CM pointed out to him, the challenging geographic conditions of Uttarakhand briefing him about mountainous, plains, Bhabar, and Terai regions of the state.
The CM pointed out that disasters, forest fires, migration from the rural and the hills, and a floating population are significant challenges for the state. He also added that being adjacent to the international borders of two countries, Uttarakhand is strategically important. Dhami urged the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog to formulate policies keeping under consideration the geographical conditions of the Himalayan states. Additionally, he also sought a special policy to improve the livelihood of people in the mountainous areas to address the issue of migration from the hills.
During the meeting, the CM mentioned an ambitious project to connect snow-based rivers with rain-based rivers, which can prove to be a game-changer in the long run. He requested technical support from NITI Aayog for the “River Linking Project,” highlighting the substantial funds required for its implementation.
Dhami reminded Bery that Uttarakhand has a population of about 1.25 crore, but as a religious and tourist state, it experiences the movement of ten times the number of people as compared to its population. Therefore, there is a need to develop basic and fundamental facilities to accommodate the floating population. He urged the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog to formulate policies considering this floating population.
The CM emphasised on Uttarakhand’s sensitivity to natural disasters, which result in significant loss of life and property every year. He stressed upon the need for policies that address these disasters. He also mentioned forest fires as a major problem in the state and stressed that the state would need adequate resources to tackle this challenge. He requested a special policy for the development of the state’s border areas.
Dhami mentioned the launch of the ‘Sashakt Uttarakhand Initiative’ in 2022 to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. He pointed out that the initiative aims to double the state’s economy in the next five years, and added that the state’s economy has already increased by 1.3 times compared to 2022. He stated that short-term, medium-term, and long-term roadmaps have been prepared to achieve this target.
NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery congratulated the CM on Uttarakhand’s first position in the Sustainable Development Goals ranking released by NITI Aayog. Bery assured all possible cooperation to the state on the discussed topics and assured the CM that NITI Aayog would also support the development of aspiring districts and blocks within the state.
On this occasion, Vice Chairman of Uttarakhand SETU Aayog Rajshekhar Joshi, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, Additional Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, State Advisor NITI Aayog, Government of India Sonia Pant, Secretaries R Meenakshi Sundaram, Shailesh Bagoli, SN Pandey, Additional Secretary Vijay Kumar Jogdande, and ACEO of CPPGG Dr Manoj Pant were also present.
