Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 11 Jun: A meeting of the State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, was held today, during which six significant proposals were approved by the cabinet. Cabinet Ministers Subodh Uniyal, Rekha Arya, Saurabh Bahuguna and Dhan Singh Rawat were present at the meeting. Following the meeting, Secretary to the CM, Shailesh Bagoli, briefed the media on the outcomes.
One of the most significant decisions of the cabinet pertains to the final notification for floodplain zoning of the Aasan Barrage River. The notification, issued under the Uttarakhand Flood Plain Zoning Act, 2012, covers a 53-kilometre stretch from Bhatta Fall to the Aasan Barrage. This decision has been taken in compliance with a directive issued by the National Green Tribunal, New Delhi, on 19 March 2024, in the matter of Rajendra Gangsari vs State of Uttarakhand & Others. In this matter, the cabinet sanctioned specific construction activities in the designated restricted and prohibited areas along both banks of the Aasan River. These include the installation of sewage treatment plants, ropeway towers, mobile towers, high-tension electricity transmission towers, and foundational infrastructure for elevated road corridors.
Very importantly for Dehradun, similar permissions were also extended to floodplains along other rivers in the state, including the Rispana and Bindal rivers in Dehradun. The areas declared as flood zones in Dehradun, along the Rispana and Bindal rivers, were also granted approval for the construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs), the foundation and structures for elevated roads, ropeway towers, mobile towers, and high-tension power lines.
Another major decision taken was regarding the formation of the Uttarakhand State Allied and Healthcare Professionals Council, to be constituted under Section 22, Chapter 3, of The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021. This Council aims to bring uniformity to educational standards, codes of conduct, entrance procedures, curriculum norms, and inter-state registration mechanisms for allied and healthcare professionals. It will function in coordination with the existing Uttarakhand Paramedical Act, 2009, and the State Medical Faculty, which currently register professionals in 22 paramedical disciplines.
In a move to enhance tourism and hospitality infrastructure, a proposal was also sanctioned under which the cabinet approved the development of five Public Works Department (PWD) inspection bungalows through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The bungalows located at Ranikhet, Uttarkashi, Dugalbitta, Harsil, and Rishikesh will be developed into world-class guest facilities.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to the service rules governing the two research centres functioning under the Uttarakhand Biotechnology Council. The earlier rules lacked provisions related to research activities, which have now been incorporated in the revised departmental regulations.
In a separate decision aimed at strengthening regulatory oversight, the Cabinet gave its nod to the creation of 18 additional inspection posts in the Bageshwar region under the Department of Industrial Development and Mining.
In addition, the Cabinet also approved rules for the utilisation of one per cent cess funds allocated to the Women Empowerment and Child Development Department by the Excise Department. These rules, framed under the Chief Minister’s Women and Child Multi-faceted Assistance Fund (Corpus Fund), will ensure effective utilisation of the cess collected on the sale of foreign liquor and beer. The corpus will be administered by the Uttarakhand Women and Child Development Committee and will be employed to fill existing gaps in government schemes, as well as implement new, context-specific initiatives. Priority will be given to providing support to orphaned children, destitute women, and elderly women, particularly those affected by natural calamities or accidents.
