Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the 23rd meeting of the Central Zonal Council held in Bhopal under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said a press release.
The Chief Minister, with the help of the Center, started a special campaign for the rejuvenation of natural water sources in the mountainous region and gave importance to ecosystem services in the allocation of resources among the states and the floating population in the allocation of financial resources by the Central Government requested to be retained, added the statement.
The Chief Minister also requested cooperation in Uttarakhand for a strong weather forecasting system and infrastructure with Doppler radar. The Chief Minister also requested to organize the next meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Devbhoomi, Uttarakhand, as per the statement.
Expressing his gratitude for the cooperation of the Central Government in the development of the state, Chief Minister Shri Dhami said that under the able guidance of the Prime Minister, the reconstruction of Shri Kedarpuri, the master plan of the holy Badrinath Dham and the construction work of Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project was on a war footing.
The state government is moving forward in the direction of implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state.
The Chief Minister said that keeping in view the inaccessible geographical conditions of the state in the determination of centrally funded schemes, special attention should be paid by the Government of India to prepare state-friendly tailor-made schemes in place of One Scheme Fit All. The state will benefit from tourism, horticulture and aromatic plant-based central schemes.
Suggesting to link the rainy rivers with glacier-based rivers on a scientific basis, the Chief Minister said that it would not only benefit the state of Uttarakhand but the entire nation. The Chief Minister also suggested starting a special campaign for the rejuvenation of natural water sources in the mountainous region with the help of the Government of India. He also requested cooperation from the Government of India for the speedy implementation of the stalled hydroelectric projects in Uttarakhand.
The Chief Minister said that the state of Uttarakhand is providing important ecosystem services to the nation by conserving its forests, bushes and glaciers. According to a study by the prestigious Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, the annual value of these ecological services is at least Rs. 95,000 crore has been estimated. The Chief Minister requested to give importance to these ecological services in the allocation of resources among the states.
The Chief Minister said that a large number of pilgrims and tourists from the country and abroad travel to the state. The population of Uttarakhand is about 1.25 crore, but every year about six crore people come to Uttarakhand in the form of a floating population. In this way, the state government has to make arrangements for infrastructure facilities for about 1.25 crore people. Therefore, in view of the limited resources of the state, this important fact of the floating population should also be kept in mind in the allocation of financial resources by the central government.
The Chief Minister said that it is imperative to connect the border areas of Uttarakhand by road, railway and air. The all-weather road should be extended up to the marginal area. Tanakpur to Bageshwar railway line should be constructed in the Kumaon division of the state. Due to limited resources, the state of Uttarakhand should get an exemption on the condition of sharing more than 50 per cent in the cost of railway projects. The Chief Minister said that at present there are Naini Saini, Gauchar, and Chinyalisaur airstrips in the state. There is a need to expand them and build other heliports from a strategic point of view. The establishment of a new airport in the Chaukhutia area, located between the Kumaon and Garhwal region and near the summer capital of the state, is very important from the economic and strategic point of view.
The Chief Minister said that keeping in view the vulnerability of Uttarakhand to disaster, the state needed a strong weather forecasting system and infrastructure with Doppler radar. The Chief Minister requested the speedy approval of the proposed work under the Bharat Net-2 project for providing connectivity in 5942-gram panchayats without mobile and internet connectivity in Uttarakhand under the Bharat Net-2 project.
Chief Minister requested to reduce the amount of 10 per cent to be kept in the account of the National Authority under CAMPA to 2 per cent. He said that this remaining 8 per cent amount could be used for the implementation of public interest and welfare schemes related to the conservation and promotion of forest and wildlife under the activities permitted in CAMPA in view of the extreme geographical conditions of the state.
The Chief Minister said that Him Prahari Yojana is proposed to be implemented in the snow-covered areas of the marginal districts of the State. Information, relief and rescue work, border security training, awareness, and self-defence training will be done by the Him Prahari team at the time of divine calamities. He requested the Government of India for financial assistance for this.
—ANI