Gov’s message on eve of Republic Day
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 25 Jan: Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd), in his message on the eve of Republic Day, today, paid his respects to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, chief architect of the Indian Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar, all the great freedom fighters and constitution makers. The Governor reminded that, in two years, by 2025, Uttarakhand would complete 25 years of its formation as a separate state. Uttarakhand also had made a big contribution in the development journey of India and the people of Uttarakhand ought to prepare themselves for a similar big role in the future.
Reminding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared that the third decade of the 21st century would be the decade of Uttarakhand, the Governor stated that Uttarakhand had all the possibilities of becoming a leading state in the country. Over the years, the state had done well on many parameters of development. The efforts of the state in the fields of industry, tourism, education, health and technology had been recognised at the national level, but much more remained to be done.
Singh said that it is the priority of the government to speed up the process of reverse migration by curbing migration from border areas and difficult hill areas. To solve the problem of migration, there is a need to provide adequate basic facilities like road, electricity, water and health in rural and remote areas. In addition, there is also the need for greater employment generation for youth and women in these areas. The Governor claimed that 100 percent electrification had been done in villages deprived of electricity in Uttarakhand. Under Har Ghar Jal Yojana water is being supplied to every house, people are also getting free treatment through Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Efforts are being made to strengthen the economy of rural areas through many different schemes. The government is taking effective action against corruption and would bring a very strict anti-copying law. The government would continue to adopt the policy of zero tolerance against any type of corruption.
The Governor said that women are the focal point of the state’s development. The development of the state is being promoted by providing adequate opportunities for education and employment to women. Women self-help groups have a major role in this direction. The Governor said that connectivity is very important for the development of any state. Tourism and investment could be promoted through connectivity. The connectivity of the state is being improved through the Triple R – Road, Railway and Ropeway. For the tourists, the government would soon provide state-of-the-art toilets and parking facilities at various places.The Governor said that good internet connectivity is also necessary to make various civic services accessible in the hill districts of Uttarakhand. Through this, people could get many services and facilities online in their villages.
He said that the inaccessible mountainous parts of Uttarakhand are also affected by natural calamities. For this, the disaster management system is being made more strong and effective. The government had taken all possible steps to deal with the natural disaster of land subsidence in Joshimath. The safety of the affected and their proper rehabilitation is the priority of the government. The Governor assured the people of the state that the situation arising in Joshimath would be resolved soon.
The Governor said that Uttarakhand is a military oriented land. The people here have a deep attachment with the army and paramilitary forces. A grand military memorial is being established in Dehradun. There has been a huge increase in the grants given to the soldiers who have received gallantry medals. Many development programmes were being run in Uttarakhand with the help of the Central Government. Amrit Yojana is being run in seven cities for construction of sewerage, drinking water, drainage and parks.
Singh said that a target has been set to provide houses to about 55 thousand poor people under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana. He added that organic agriculture and horticulture are the focal points for Uttarakhand’s development. The organic products of the Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand, the honey, the ghee, and the off-season vegetables are in great demand outside. Economic prosperity could be ensured in the rural areas by promoting their production in a more systematic and trained manner. The home-stay scheme is proving to be extremely beneficial for promoting rural tourism.
The Governor said that corruption-free App-1064 and CM Helpline 1905 are working effectively for the overall development of the state. About 500 services have been brought under the Right to Services Act. To prevent forcible conversion, a stringent anti-conversion law has been brought in the state. Uttarakhand has become the first state to implement the new National Education Policy with the establishment of Bal Vatikas. The New Education Policy has been implemented in higher education also. Emphasis is being laid on employment-oriented courses, quality research and courses based on patents, artificial intelligence, new technology in the universities of the state.
The Governor said programmes related to G-20 would also be organised in Uttarakhand when the state would have the opportunity to show the whole world the potential of Uttarakhand, its art, culture, investment opportunities and other features here. The world is seeing its future in today’s India. The country is on the way to becoming a world guru once again.
