Harish Rawat seeks suggestions for people-friendly budget

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 3

Chief Minister Harish Rawat has come out with a novel idea of seeking suggestions from people in making the annual budget. He today sought suggestions from intellectuals, members of the business community and public representatives through telephone for making a people-friendly budget.

He heard the suggestions patiently and said the exercise had been successful as he had received some valuable suggestions from a cross section of society that could be incorporated in the budget.

The Chief Minister said the government was making efforts to incorporate suggestions of the people in the state’s budget for the next year. Around 12 suggestions had been included in the budget proposals this year and the suggestions he received today were valuable.

He said it was the state government’s priority to stop migration from hill areas and the government was contemplating a policy in this regard. He added the government was trying to focus on promoting the production of herbal medicines in the state and had begun the work for forming clusters to promote herbal farming.

Harish Rawat said the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Self-Employment Scheme would be made more effective so that more unemployed youths could reap its benefits. Jagdish Joshi, a hotel owner from Ranikhet, said increasing the period of rebate to hoteliers under the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali scheme from five to 10 years would go a long way in promoting tourism as the business in hill areas was seasonal in nature that peaks in June. Ramesh Pahadi from Rudraprayag said efforts should be made to provide benefits of the energy policy to locals so that employment could be generated at the local level. He said funds under the small-scale industry scheme should be given to the stakeholders at the district level.

RK Joshi, an educationist from Munsiyari, said the government should formulate a policy to grow aromatic plants in barren fields in the state. He added a concrete policy should be made to promote tourism in the state. Pradeep Kumar Ghildiyal said land consolidation or chakbandi should be done in farmlands of the state.

Suyesh Joshi, a resident of Dehradun, said a policy to promote local dialects, namely Garhwali and Kumaoni, should be made through adequate allocations in the budget so that these could be introduced in the school curriculum. Atul Sharma, a resident of Vikasnagar in Dehradun, said the budget should aim at providing employment to the youth of the state through tourism-related activities.

Earlier, Harish Rawat felicitated international instructors and sportspersons in kayaking, canoeing, and canoe polo by presenting them mementos, citations and cash prizes to the tune of Rs 30 lakh at the Bijapur guest house. He said efforts were being made to link sports with the livelihood of the people in the state.

The Chief Minister said the government had begun preparations for the National Games to be held in the state in 2018. Water sports centres would be developed at Roorkee, Pancheshwar and other places soon. He hoped that Uttarakhand would excel in the National Games and emerge a premier state in sports.