By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 20 May: The BJP has strongly sought from the 16th Finance Commission substantial support on issues such as Green Bonus, disaster management and rehabilitation, agriculture, horticulture, and industry for Uttarakhand. A party delegation that met the Commission members yesterday evening, emphasised the need for central assistance, citing the state’s significant contribution to the environment. The BJP delegation also proposed new measures like royalty on rivers, carbon credit contributions, and a ‘Forest Warrior’ scheme for Uttarakhand, along with improved connectivity, raw material-based industries, and solar fencing for wildlife protection.
The party’s delegation to the meeting included Jyoti Prasad Gairola, Chairman of the 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee and senior leader; senior party MLA Vinod Chamoli and Dan Singh Rawat, the outgoing Chairman of the State Cooperative Bank. In their suggestions to the 16th Finance Commission, the party asserted that Uttarakhand has achieved numerous milestones in development over the past 25 years, securing the top position in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s leadership, Uttarakhand aims to accelerate the pace of development and play a crucial role in building a developed India. Accordingly, the party offered important suggestions on various issues, including education, healthcare, employment, roads, water, measures to curb migration, along with Green Bonus, carbon credit contributions, urban development, energy, disaster management and rehabilitation, agriculture and horticulture, industry, and sports.
The party unequivocally stated that given the life-sustaining rivers in the Himalayan region and Uttarakhand’s 16 percent share of the country’s total forest wealth, which significantly contributes to India’s environment and prosperity, the state should receive adequate rights in carbon credit contributions, royalty on rivers, and water authority fees. They also stressed connecting ‘ghost villages’ to roads and exploring various measures to enhance the possibilities of reverse migration.
Regarding urban development and finance commission-related matters, the party suggested that Uttarakhand’s urban population stands at 40 percent, higher than the national average of 27 to 30 percent. Considering factors like tourism, filmmaking, and pilgrimage, there is a substantial need for greater assistance to improve urban infrastructure facilities. Additionally, given the energy consumption, central support was deemed essential for the expansion of hydro-projects and the establishment of solid waste-to-energy projects in urban areas.
Given that Uttarakhand is a disaster-prone and sensitive region, the party also sought support for establishing a permanent disaster management and mitigation system in the state. The BJP members drew the commission’s attention to the significant loss of life and property and the increased risk of accidents due to forest fires in recent years. In this regard, they suggested that along with other potential measures, the appointment of ‘Forest Warriors’ in Gram Panchayats, prioritising local youth, is crucial, and central assistance should be provided for this.
The delegation also raised concerns about agriculture and horticulture, highlighting the damage caused to agricultural produce by wildlife. They emphasised solar fencing as a key solution for this issue. For industrial development, they proposed identifying raw material-based industries in both hilly and plain regions. Furthermore, considering the successful organisation of the National Games, the need for support in developing sports infrastructure in the state was also expressed. The party also requested consideration for expanding communication network facilities, rail connectivity, heli-services, and exploring the possibilities of metro services. The BJP leaders also stressed on taking concrete steps for the conservation and rejuvenation of natural water sources to ensure long-term results for the Jal Jeevan Mission. In this context, the need for the central government’s cooperation in the state government’s efforts for river conservation and rejuvenation was also highlighted.
The party expressed confidence that these public-oriented suggestions would accelerate the pace of the state’s development and contribute significantly to the resolve of building a developed India.
