Uttarakhand CM likely to announce sops to mark one year of his govt

Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat will present his much awaited report card before the people at a “gala” function to be held at the sprawling Parade Ground here on March 18 to mark completion of the BJP government’s one year.

Rawat might also announce “some major sops” with an eye on the forthcoming urban local body polls and the 2019 general election.

Officials at the chief minister’s office (CMO) said for Rawat, completion of one year of his government won’t be just a ceremonial occasion.

“The chief minister plans to utilise the event not only to share with people his government’s performance so far, but he might also announce some major sops,” said a CMO official, who did not wish to be named as he was not authorised to brief the media.

He said Rawat might also announce some major pro-poor schemes with an eye on the crucial upcoming polls.

“On the occasion, the chief minister will distribute some 1,000 e-rickshaws among the unemployed youth from the poor sections of society,” said the chief minister’s media adviser Ramesh Bhatt.

Another aide of the chief minister said Rawat might announce payment of honorariums for Asha (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, which had been pending for the past five years.

Bhatt said the chief minister feels that the occasion of the completion of his government’s one year should be celebrated in a manner that the poor could also identify with it.

“The chief minister during the first year of his government gave utmost importance to check the forced rural-urban migration and migration from the hills,” he said.

“In that connection, he initiated a slew of steps so far, which he would share with people.”

Bhatt said those steps also “include” employment generation on which the CM laid a lot of emphasis to check forced migration from the hills.

“During the past one year, there had been a substantial employment generation in all sectors, be it tourism, agriculture, horticulture or even small scale industry,” he said.

In that connection, he “took a lot of initiatives like his plan to set up growth centres in all 670 Nyay Panchayat areas”.

As part of those initiatives, as many as 17,000 people got employment in the 2,951 units set up in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in the past one year.

“Besides, new ‘Start Up’ policy was also enforced to generate self-employment,” Bhatt said.

Similarly, the “government’s initiative to develop one each tourist destination in all the 13 districts in the state also aims to generate” direct and indirect employment and self-employment.

“The chief minister will share all those pro-people initiatives and other schemes initiated by his government in the past one year,” he said.

“In fact, he (chief minister) plans to generate employment and self-employment opportunities at a scale that forced migration from the hills gives way to reverse migration,” Bhatt said.

Another official at the CMO said Rawat might announce unveiling of 111 additional 108 emergency mobile service vans. These mobile vans would cater to the people inhabiting remote areas.

“The chief minister may also hand over appointment letters to the recently appointed some 461 doctors and 400 auxiliary nurse midwives at the venue of the gala function,” said the CMO aide.