PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The governor lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh and chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami jointly inaugurated the 15-day Sewa Pakhwada at IDPL Ground in Rishikesh on Saturday. Titled ‘Sewa, Sushashan and Samarpan- Jan Jan Ki Sarkar, Jan Jan Ke Dwar’, the programme is being organised to mark completion of five years of CM Dhami in office.
Addressing the gathering, the governor said that the Sewa Pakhwada is a symbol of the government’s commitment to public service, good governance and public welfare. He said that the true success of democracy lies in ensuring that the benefits of government programmes reach every citizen, even at the bottom of society. Congratulating Dhami for achieving the milestone, the governor said that the achievement symbolises public trust, democratic stability and continuity of development. He said that under CM Dhami, Uttarakhand has taken many historic and visionary decisions in recent years. He listed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), stringent anti-copying law, anti-conversion and anti-riot laws as the examples. The governor described 30 per cent horizontal reservation for women in government services, the empowerment of self-help groups and schemes like Lakhpati Didi as important steps towards women’s empowerment.
In his address the CM said that this is not an occasion for celebration, but rather for introspection and strengthening the resolve to serve the people. He said that the State government’s goal is to make Uttarakhand a developed state by 2035. To achieve this special emphasis is being placed on infrastructure, education, health, drinking water, roads, agriculture, tourism, industry, investment, self-employment and the development of border areas.
Dhami averred that new employment and self-employment opportunities are being created for youth and they are being empowered through schemes such as Startup Policy, One District-Two Products (ODTP), Homestay Scheme, and Solar Self-Employment Scheme. He added that 30 per cent horizontal reservation in government jobs, the Women Empowerment Scheme, the CM Mahalaxmi Yojana are empowering women. He said that investments worth more than Rs one lakh crore have been realized from investment proposals received through the Global Investors Summit. The State successfully organised the National Games and the G-20 meetings.
Dhami said the GDP of the State has increased appreciably along with the per capita income and the size of budget has become more than Rs one lakh crore. He added that the expansion of tourism activities has also accelerated reverse migration. The CM said that in the last five years, more than 34,000 youngsters have got government jobs.
He said the government’s objective is not merely to formulate schemes, but to ensure their benefits reach the last person. Dhami directed officers to reach out to the public, ensure prompt resolution of their problems and ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach every eligible individual.
He appealed to the people of the State to ensure their participation in the development journey to make Uttarakhand one of the developed states of the country by 2035.
In the programme the governor and CM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 51 development projects worth Rs 219 crore in Dehradun district.
Cabinet ministers Rekha Arya, Dhan Singh Rawat, Khajan Dass and Bharat Chaudhary, Union minister of State Ajay Tamta, former CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, BJP State president and MP Mahendra Bhatt and many MLAs attended the programme.
