Question Hour
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Gairsain, 13 Mar: Several important issues relating to the Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Skill Development departments were raised in the Uttarakhand Assembly on the fifth day of the Budget Session being held at Bhararisain. During Question Hour, members of the House sought information on skill development initiatives, the global employment scheme and dairy production in the state. Responding to the queries, Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bahuguna informed the House about the progress and achievements of various schemes being implemented by the government.
Doiwala MLA Brij Bhushan Gairola raised an important question regarding milk production in the state. Replying to the query, Saurabh Bahuguna informed the House that the milk production in Uttarakhand has been steadily increasing. At present, the state produces about 1,957.25 thousand tonnes of milk annually, compared to 1,897.84 thousand tonnes in the previous year, reflecting an increase of approximately 3.13 per cent.
MLA Suresh Gadiya raised a starred question regarding the Mukhyamantri Kaushal Unnayan Evam Vaishvik Rojgar Yojana. Replying to the query, Saurabh Bahuguna stated that, under the scheme, a total of 143 youths so far have been imparted training in foreign languages. He explained that the scheme has been launched with the objective of enabling the youth of the state to secure employment opportunities not only within the country but also abroad.
Gadiya sought details about the implementation of the Mukhyamantri Kaushal Unnayan Evam Vaishvik Rojgar Yojana, to which Bahuguna replied that 143 youths have so far received training in foreign languages through the scheme. He said that the programme is part of a global employment initiative aimed at connecting the youth of the state with employment opportunities overseas by exploring possibilities of placement in foreign countries. Under this scheme, a total of 92 youths have so far been placed in jobs abroad.
Following a question raised by MLA Sumit Hridayesh regarding training centres, Bahuguna informed the House that at present only one training centre is operational in Dehradun. He added that another training centre would soon be opened in Almora in the Kumaon region.
Saurabh Bahuguna further informed the House that the global employment scheme is helping to connect the youth of the state with job opportunities abroad. So far, 92 youths have been employed in different countries under the scheme, thereby opening new avenues of employment for the youth of Uttarakhand.
He also stated that, based on the estimated population of the state, the per capita availability of milk is about 456 grams per day, which is close to the national average of 485 grams. The average daily milk production in the state is around 53.62 lakh kilograms, while the estimated daily consumption stands at about 50.34 lakh kilograms.
Replying to a question regarding dairy cooperative societies, Saurabh Bahuguna said that, at present, a total of 2,830 dairy cooperative societies are functioning in the state. He added that schemes such as Ganga Cow Mahila Dairy, silage, nutrition support for milch animals, milk price incentives and the State Livestock Mission are not only helping to increase milk production but are also generating employment for local people.
He further stated that milk and various products marketed under the Aanchal brand generated business worth about Rs 399.58 crore in the financial year 2024–25. In the next financial year, the turnover is expected to reach approximately Rs 444 crores.
After the conclusion of Question Hour, Saurabh Bahuguna spoke informally with media persons and said that the government is making efforts to ensure that schemes related to skill development and animal husbandry create better employment opportunities for the youth and enhance the income prospects of farmers in the state.
During the discussion, former Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal also raised concerns about increasing cases of fraud in the name of providing jobs abroad. Responding to the issue, Bahuguna clarified that 16 agencies are registered with the Skill Development Department and all of them have been verified by the Ministry of External Affairs. He said that the government is taking special care to ensure that the youth do not fall victim to fraudulent practices while seeking overseas employment.
Brij Bhushan Gairola also asked Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi a question regarding natural farming. The opposition once again attempted to corner Ganesh Joshi on issues related to natural farming and organic farming, but the minister did not get trapped in the questions this time. Congress MLA Pritam Singh asked how much production had been achieved under natural farming. In reply, Ganesh Joshi said that natural farming is currently being practiced on about 10,000 hectares of land in the state. When the opposition questioned the production figures, the minister clarified that the rabi crop had been sown in October and the output would become available in April.
In response to another started question by Gairola, Minister Ganesh Joshi informed the House that, for the protection of the crops from wild animals, fencing of the farms is being undertaken and that a provision of Rs 25 crores under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) had been proposed for FY 2025-26 for fencing and has been submitted to the Centre. In response to a supplementary question in this regard, Joshi stated that a total of 44,429 farmers have availed benefits of the fencing scheme in the past 3 years.
In response to a starred question from independent MLA Umesh Kumar, Sainik Kalyan Minister Ganesh Joshi clarified that there is no official announcement in respect of regularising the services of employees hired in various government department through UPNL. However, the government, vide its announcement, had stated that a policy would be framed for recruitment of UPNL employees hired as outsourced employees in various departments against vacant posts wherever feasible. He added that, in this regard, the government has set up an experts’ committee to study the situation and consider the possible options.
