Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Jun: Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan today instructed all departments concerned to expedite reform programmes mandated by the Government of India, ensuring the effective utilisation of funds under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) Scheme for the state’s comprehensive development. Uttarakhand is set to receive Rs 615 crores from the untied fund component of the scheme in the current financial year.
Chairing a review meeting on the SASCI Scheme for Capital Investment 2025-26, Bardhan also reviewed the progress of development works under both tied and untied components. During the meeting, he directed departments concerned to accelerate the implementation of reform programmes for optimal fund usage, benefiting the state.
Key departments, including Mining, Transport, Urban Development, Housing, Finance, Revenue, and Agriculture, were instructed to submit a detailed roadmap and action plan with timelines for SASCI Scheme works within a week.
The Chief Secretary (CS) also emphasised prioritising critical projects that can be completed swiftly. Departments that have completed development works under the scheme must immediately submit their utilisation certificates.
For mining reforms, the CS urged the Mining Department to expedite the formulation of the Minor Minerals Policy, surveys of rare minerals, implementation of a star rating system, and the auction of minor mineral blocks.
He directed the Transport Department to fast-track the replacement of old vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs), promote pollution-free alternatives, and improve road safety using electronic enforcement measures, including e-challan systems and online traffic management.
Bardhan also directed the Revenue Department to accelerate land reforms, including modernisation and digitisation of land records in both rural and urban areas. Digital crop surveys, issuance of forest farmer IDs, and revenue court digitisation are to be prioritised.
The Finance and Planning Departments must rapidly advance modernisation, digitisation, and transparency in financial management, alongside expanding Aadhaar-based Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
On this occasion, the Planning Department confirmed that the state would receive an amount of Rs 615 crores from the untied fund from the Centre this financial year. The release of additional funds will depend on the progress of reform initiatives undertaken by various departments.
Among those present on the occasion included Principal Secretaries RK Sudhanshu and R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Dr Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Shailesh Bagoli, Ravinath Raman, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Dr R Rajesh Kumar, Dr SN Pandey, and Deepak Kumar, Additional Secretary Swati Bhadoria, MD, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam, Sandeep Singhal and several other senior officials.
