Priority for spiritual and cultural infrastructure projects
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 3 Feb: A high-level review meeting on the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and their grounding under the Uttarakhand Global Investor Summit was held at the Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami here today. The meeting undertook a detailed assessment of the current status of MoUs signed by various departments, their progress on the ground, existing bottlenecks and the future course of action required to accelerate implementation.
During the meeting, it was reiterated that under the Global Investor Summit, a total of 1,779 MoUs amounting to Rs 3.576 lakh crores had been signed, out of which MoUs worth Rs 1.069 lakh crore have already been successfully grounded. Describing this as a historic achievement, the CM observed that it was a significant milestone for the industrial and economic future of Uttarakhand and a clear reflection of investor confidence, better law & order, good governance and an industry-friendly environment in the state. He said there remains vast potential to take this positive outcome further and it should be leveraged fully in the interest of the state.
Emphasising the need to speed up the grounding of the MoUs, the CM issued clear and firm instructions to all the departments concerned to ensure swift resolution of any obstacles at any level in the implementation of MoUs and projects. He directed that a nodal officer be designated in each department concerned for continuous monitoring of MoU grounding. He said that wherever there is a need for policy amendment, simplification or relaxation, proposals should be prepared and pursued expeditiously. He also stressed the importance of regular interaction and engagement with industrialists, and directed departments to apprise them of improvements related to law and order, ease of doing business, digitisation, simplified procedures and the overall industry-friendly ecosystem in the state. The Chief Minister made it clear that there should be no unnecessary delay in project implementation, decisions must be taken promptly, work should be completed strictly as per defined timelines and no pendency should be allowed. He also appreciated the exemplary performance of some departments that have been doing commendable work.
The Chief Minister placed special focus on creating new opportunities in tourism, industry and investment. He directed the Tourism Department to create a conducive investment environment in areas with strong potential for hotel construction under the hospitality sector, including Pithoragarh, Kainchi Dham and other major tourist destinations. The department informed the meeting that work is underway on an area-based focus policy in different regions for the development of special tourist zones.
With the objective of further strengthening industries, the Chief Minister instructed the Industry Department to ensure that meetings of the Udyog Mitra Samiti are held every month in all districts, so that issues related to industries are resolved promptly and industry-friendly decisions are implemented effectively on the ground.
Highlighting the importance of culture, spirituality and balanced development, the Chief Minister said Uttarakhand is a focal point of Indian culture, spirituality and an ancient, glorious heritage. Keeping this in view, he directed that necessary groundwork be undertaken for the establishment of a university based on the balance between ecology and economy, that further action be taken on earlier directions related to the Hindu Studies Centre and the Centre for Oriental Research, and that works related to spiritual zone development, temple and other creative infrastructure in Bhararisain, and the establishment of an Ayurveda AIIMS be taken forward on priority.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Sachin Kurve, Vinay Shankar Pandey, Ranjit Sinha, S Adanki, C Ravi Shankar, DS Gabryal, Ranjan Kumar Mishra from the Forest Department, Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister Banshidhar Tiwari, along with senior officers and concerned departmental officials from various departments.
