By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 7 Apr: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed the State Institution for Empowering and Transforming Uttarakhand (SETU) Commission to prepare a comprehensive vision document for the Golden Jubilee of Uttarakhand by 2050, focusing on the social, economic, and environmental development of the state over the next 25 years. Speaking at the Commission’s first policy meeting at the Secretariat here today, he emphasised the need for a detailed analysis of departmental policies and better implementation strategies. The CM also stressed on effective efforts to connect migrant Uttarakhandis with the state’s development journey and encourage investment.
Dhami stressed the importance of structured planning, suggesting a short-term plan of two years, a medium-term plan of ten years, and a long-term plan of twenty-five years for development in the state. He urged experts to focus on horticulture and dairy development, skill training for youth, and modern vocational education. In addition, he also called for subject experts to prepare reports on the state’s potential in various fields, including agriculture, tourism, energy, and medicinal products, to guide departmental initiatives.
Cabinet Minister Dhan Singh Rawat remarked that state policies are being designed in accordance with geographical conditions, ensuring better implementation. He cited the CM Scholarship Scheme, which has led to increased student enrolment. He claimed that improved healthcare measures have also resulted in a rise in institutional deliveries.
Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi stressed on the need to enhance marketing for agriculture and allied sectors through cluster farming and supply chain improvements.
SETU Aayog Vice President Rajshekhar Joshi provided insights into the Commission’s past and future work. He insisted on the importance of inter-departmental coordination for policy execution, ensuring that beneficiaries receive the full advantages of government schemes. The state policy framework, he noted, is being shaped to strengthen economic and ecological balance, maximise technology integration, and improve implementation efficiency.
It was shared at the meeting that the Commission plans to collaborate with leading organisations such as Tata Trust, Bill Gates Foundation, NASSCOM, ITC, and Mahindra on projects related to agriculture, higher education, animal husbandry, health, industry, IT, and skill development. Efforts are also being made to convert barren land into cultivable farmland and enhance the dairy sector.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shatrughna Singh stated that the SETU Commission is progressing smoothly, with measurable policy outputs expected within a month. He reaffirmed that the Commission’s core objective is to strengthen Uttarakhand’s socio-economic development.
Among those who attended the meeting included Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya, Principal Secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Shailesh Bagoli and Dilip Jawalkar, Finance Advisor Hanumant Pant, Monitoring and Evaluation expert Vishal Parashar, Social Welfare representatives, and Commission members.
