By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 26 Mar: Following the recent Cabinet expansion in Uttarakhand, newly inducted ministers have begun taking charge of their respective departments. As part of this, Cabinet Ministers Khajan Das and Bharat Singh Chaudhary formally inaugurated their offices in the Assembly premises today, and assumed their responsibilities. Both the leaders expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the party leadership, reiterating their commitment to working in the larger public interest.
Khajan Das, who has been assigned the Social Welfare Department, said after assuming office that the department is directly connected with the common people. Therefore, his foremost priority would be to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the last person in the queue. He stated that he would work with full dedication and transparency to live up to the trust reposed in him by CM Dhami and the party organisation. Referring to his earlier experience as the minister, he reminded that he had handled the same department between 2009 and 2010, which has given him a sound understanding of its functioning. He emphasised that he would personally monitor the implementation of schemes to ensure that benefits reach the needy in a timely manner.
Das further said that, in order to directly hear public grievances and ensure their resolution, he would undertake a tour of all 13 districts of the state from April, beginning with the Kumaon region. He said that assessing the ground realities of schemes and issuing necessary directions to officials at the field level would remain an integral part of his working style.
At the same time, newly appointed minister Bharat Singh Chaudhary also formally took charge after inaugurating his office in the Assembly complex today. Interacting with the media, he said that he would strive to deliver effective results within the time available to him as a minister and make every effort to meet public expectations.
It may be recalled that Bharat Singh Chaudhary has been entrusted with the Khadi and Village Industries, Rural Development and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises departments. He stated that these departments are closely linked with the rural economy and have the potential to directly benefit the people of the state. His priority, he said, would be to ensure effective implementation of schemes on the ground.
Chaudhary added that efforts would be made to promote khadi and village industries to generate local employment opportunities, while strengthening the MSME sector to encourage self-employment among the youth. At the same time, special focus would be laid on improving basic infrastructure in villages through rural development initiatives. Chaudhary added that he would work in coordination with officials to ensure timely delivery of benefits to eligible beneficiaries and that transparency and accountability would remain central to his functioning.
