Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 25 Jul: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today directed the officials concerned to undertake a comprehensive safety audit of all school buildings across Uttarakhand. The CM asserted that no child must be made to study in structurally compromised or dilapidated school buildings. This directive was issued during a high-level review meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence here today.
Stressing that any laxity in ensuring student safety would be viewed seriously, Dhami instructed that buildings in need of repair be swiftly restored and those requiring reconstruction be addressed through well-defined and immediately actionable plans. He also warned the officials that failure to implement these directions may attract legal scrutiny, as lapses related to infrastructure safety can fall under civil liability provisions, especially if they result in casualties or violations of Right to Education provisions under the law.
Extending the scope of structural vigilance, the CM also simultaneously ordered a statewide audit of all the bridges in the state in view of their crucial role in ensuring mobility and protecting public lives. In the meeting, he emphasised that structures found to be structurally unsound must be repaired or rebuilt as a matter of priority.
In addition, with an aim to stimulate economic activity and reinforce Uttarakhand’s tourism potential, the CM also stressed on expediting development of Triyuginarayan and other cultural or religious sites as wedding destinations. This initiative seeks to merge heritage preservation with modern hospitality, encouraging employment generation through local participation. He also asked the officials to study and incorporate successful models from other states into Uttarakhand’s forthcoming wedding tourism policy, which can be made more effective by such incorporations.
Further, Dhami also reiterated his government’s vision for two dedicated ‘Spiritual Economic Zones’ aimed at bolstering religious and cultural tourism while creating sustainable economic avenues. He urged the departments to synergise plans that honour the sanctity of spiritual sites and ensure rapid development.
Among those present at the meeting included Principal Secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Shailesh Bagoli and Vinay Shankar Pandey, Special Secretary Parag Madhukar Dhakate, IG KS Nagnyal, and Additional Secretary Banshidhar Tiwari.
