By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 16 Apr: The much-anticipated Chintan Shivir, scheduled to be held in Nainital later this month, has been postponed indefinitely. The government has informed all officials about the decision, but a new date is yet to be announced. Sources claim that the conclave is likely to be held now after impending changes in the state’s bureaucracy.
It may be recalled that the first and only such Chintan Shivir was held in 2022 at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBNSAA) in Mussoorie between Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the top bureaucrats of the state. At that time, it was announced by the CM that such conclaves would be held on a regular basis, but this did not happen. However, finally, a Chintan Shivir aimed at brainstorming on the state’s developmental goals and strengthening Uttarakhand’s administration was proposed this year as a three-day event in Nainital from 25 to 27 April. However, the sudden decision to postpone has cast doubts over its rescheduling in the near future. The government has confirmed the postponement of the event, though no further details have been provided.
Sources claim that discussions on reshuffling bureaucratic roles have been ongoing for some time. They claim that several rounds of deliberations have taken place at the Chief Minister’s level, with certain decisions taken on reassigning responsibilities from the district level to the secretariat. Despite this, delays in finalising and releasing the list of postings, along with proposed amendments, are understood to have contributed to the postponement of the Chintan Shivir.
If the Conclave does not happen later this month, there is a strong likelihood of a long postponement also in view of the coming Char Dham Yatra, set to begin on 30 April. The Yatra would get a lot of bureaucrats rather busy for next few months and holding the conclave during the early Yatra period or just before the Yatra could have hampered its management. Some sources also claim that the conclave may now be held in May last before the advent of the monsoons, which would also require huge attention and focus from the officialdom towards mitigating disasters. Meanwhile, the bureaucratic changes and reshuffle may also likely happen.
While the last time such a conclave was held in Mussoorie, this time the RS Tolia Uttarakhand Academy of Administration in Nainital had been chosen as the venue for the Shivir, which was to witness the participation of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, cabinet ministers, and senior bureaucrats. The programme was designed to include presentations on key subjects such as tourism, AYUSH wellness, rural employment, and skill development, aimed at advancing the vision of a stronger Uttarakhand.
