By Our Staff Reporter
Pauri, 12 Feb: The ‘Chief Minister Antyodaya Free Gas Refill Scheme’ was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday from Kandolia Maidan, here, in the presence of Cabinet Ministers Rekha Arya and Dr Dhan Singh Rawat. The scheme was launched by giving the benefit of free gas refill to 23 women. Under this scheme Antyodaya families will be given the benefit of 3 free gas refills in a year and about 1.78 lakh Antyodaya card holders in the entire state will benefit. Ministers and MLAs from across the state were also connected online on the occasion of the launch of this scheme.
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stones and inaugurated development works worth Rs 94.28 crore. Foundation stones of 9 development works worth Rs 53.65 crores were laid, and development works worth Rs 40.63 crore were inaugurated. Among the development works for which the foundation stones were laid by the Chief Minister, a total of 5 were related to Yamkeshwar and Kotdwar area of Dugadda, 2 motorway construction works under Srinagar, and 2 schemes related to Uttarakhand Drinking Water Corporation in Pauri. Similarly, among the 4 development works that were inaugurated, safety improvement and security works in Lansdowne and Pauri of PWD, Pauri, and works related to drinking water scheme and flood protection in Pauri and Kotdwar areas of Uttarakhand Drinking Water Corporation were included.
In his address, Chief Minister Dhami said that this scheme would strengthen the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to realise the vision of a smoke-free India and the life of women would become healthier and easier. He said that the uplift and empowerment of women is the government’s priority and, keeping this in mind, schemes like 30 percent reservation in government services, Gaura Shakti App registration, Teelu Rauteli Samman, Lakhpati Didi Yojana, Nanda-Gaura Devi Yojana, etc., had been implemented.
The Chief Minister said that the target is to bring Uttarakhand among the leading states by 2025. “For this, we are focusing more on infrastructure creation and connectivity,” he declared. He said that with the guidance and inspiration of Prime Minister Modi, along with India, Uttarakhand is also trying to achieve new heights of development.
The Chief Minister added, “We are also concerned about the interests of the youth, that is why we have made such a strict anti-copying law in the state, so that no anti-social element will now bother to cheat in the recruitment examinations. In this law, provision has been made to confiscate the property of the cheating gang, send them to jail and impose heavy fines on them. Cheating candidates will also be disqualified for any recruitment for 10 years. All the criminals involved in recruitment scams will not be spared at all.”
The Chief Minister also promised funds for the early completion of the construction work on the Pauri Bus Stand. The Chief Minister also made several announcements on the occasion, including the construction work of multi-storey parking in Pauri, beautification of the main market of the historic town, and developing it as a heritage road from Dhara Road to Agency Chowk, etc. Construction work on a 42 metre bridge on nearby Khoh River, declaration of Kanwad as a fair, completion of sewer line works in Srinagar, construction of a sub-district hospital in Thalisain, parking construction in Dhari Devi, Srinagar, and Tripalisain were also promised. He said that wheat and rice are already being provided by the Food Department, and promised to provide sugar and salt also at cheap rates soon, as also oil and spices.
The Chief Minister congratulated the district for securing the first position in the state by approving 2,136 loans against the total target of 2100 under the National Rural Livelihood Mission and securing the second position in the state by approving 636 loans against the target of 500 under the Chief Minister’s Self-Employment Scheme.
Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Smt. Rekha Arya said in her address that government has provided facilities like Jan Dhan Yojana, free ration, gas, sanitation, housing, etc., to the public. The aim is to provide clean fuel and a better life. Understanding the suffering of women, the government is implementing many schemes related to their welfare.
Cabinet Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, District Panchayat President Shanti Devi, MLA, Pauri Rajkumar Pori, Lansdowne MLA Mahant Dilip Rawat and Yamkeshwar MLA Renu Bisht, Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, Brijesh Kumar Sant, District Magistrate, Pauri, Dr Ashish Chauhan, SSP Shweta Choubey along with other officers, employees and public were present on the occasion.
