Wednesday, 09 November 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Wishing the people and paying homage to statehood movement martyrs on the occasion of State foundation day, governor lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh said that Uttarakhand needs to set three types of goals for itself. In his message on the eve of the State foundation day, Singh said that the State needs to set immediate goal, intermediate goal and century goal for itself. “We have to decide our immediate goal- how Uttarakhand will be by 2025 when it marks 25 years of its creation. The intermediate goal has to be set for 2030- how Uttarakhand will be by the end of the third decade which the Prime Minister has also referred to. The third, century goal is for ascertaining what condition Uttarakhand will be in in 2047 when the nation celebrates 100 years of its independence,” he said.
Referring to the important role of women in the Statehood movement and socio-economic life in the mountainous regions, the governor said that education, health and employment for women should be the State’s priority. Encouraging women self help groups and enterprises by women based on local products will achieve the dual targets of women empowerment and boosting local products. He also stressed on the need for developing leadership skills in women. Singh said that local products can fuel economic prosperity in the State though special focus needs to be laid on packaging and branding. Encouraging enterprises based on local products can help achieve the targets of economic self-reliance, self employment and reverse migration. Focusing on the State’s local products, traditional crops, grains and handicrafts is also needed for the success of the PM’s ‘vocal for local’ mantra, said the governor. International level markets should be made available for the local products, he added.
Stating that migration can be stopped only by improvement in health, education and basic facilities, he said that the aim of reverse migration can be achieved by maximising opportunities for employment and self employment in the State.
He said that under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Central government has taken various steps for developing infrastructure in Uttarakhand and encouraging tourism and culture. He also referred to the various infrastructural and development works being undertaken in Kedarnath and Badrinath along with the works for which the foundation stones were recently unveiled. He said, “Along with the government, the efforts of social organisations, non-governmental organisations, social workers and individuals also play an important role. We must ensure everybody’s participation in the development of the State.”
