Dehradun: Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand Smt. Radha Raturi informed the NITI Ayog about the innovative efforts and achievements made by the Uttarakhand Government in public interest in a meeting held at the Secretariat on Saturday under the chairmanship of Honorable Vice Chairman NITI Aayog Shri Suman Beri, Government of India. Along with this, Chief Secretary Smt. Radha Raturi placed the required points before the NITI Ayog in the context of the special circumstances of the state of Uttarakhand.
Chief Secretary Smt. Radha Raturi said that the state of Uttarakhand has got the first place in the country in the SDG India Index 2023-24 released by NITI Aayog. SARRA (Spring and River Rejuventation Authority) has been formed for the rejuvenation of water sources and rivers of the state. So far, 5428 sources have been rejuvenated while 228 small and big rivers during the rainy season have been rejuvenated by catchment treatment. The state government is preparing an ambitious project to link snow-based rivers (Glaciel River) with rainfed Rivers, its long-term results will prove to be a game changer, which will benefit not only the state but also the neighboring states. A lot of fund is required for the implementation of such a very important “River Linking Project”, for which technical support is required from NITI Aayog, Government of India.
Expectation of technical and financial support from Government of India for setting up Incubation Centre*
Chief Secretary Smt Radha Raturi said that to promote maximum entrepreneurship in rural areas, two Rural Incubation Centres have been set up initially as a pilot project for setting up Cluster based Rural Incubation Centres in rural areas, which have yielded promising results. In the second phase, we are going to set up Rural Incubation Centres in all the districts. We have expectations of technical and financial support from Government of India for setting up Incubation Centres on a large scale.
Need for more decentralization, planning and policies – Chief Secretary
Chief Secretary Smt. Radha Raturi said that since the centrally funded schemes run by the Government of India are based on the concept of One Size Fit for All, there is a need for more decentralization, planning and policies along with changing and providing relaxation in the prescribed standards of the schemes. In view of the formation of National Skill Council and Sector by the Government of India, we need technical assistance from NITI Aayog for Green Skilling as well as Eco-Tourism Activity in the state. The state government has started working through “State Institute for Empowering and Transforming Uttarakhand” (SETU) formed like NITI Aayog. The State Support Mission sponsored by NITI Aayog will get strength in the operation of SETU. At present, appointments are being made by advertising for advisors, domain experts, research associates, internships for effective policy planning in SETU Aayog, Uttarakhand.
Role of UCC in eliminating gender inequality
Chief Secretary Smt. Radha Raturi said that by implementing the Uttarakhand UCC Act to reduce gender inequality, women will get the right to gender equality. Along with this, Uniform Civil Code, strict anti-cheating law, anti-conversion and anti-riot laws have been implemented in the state. Similarly, keeping gender equality in mind, 30 percent reservation for women in government jobs and 33 percent reservation for women in cooperative management committees has been ensured. As a result of the implementation of strict anti-cheating law in the state, there has been 100 percent transparency in all types of examinations, due to which various examination results in the state have been released in the stipulated time and trust in the system has been established among the youth.
Chief Secretary Smt Radha Raturi informed that about 25 investment-oriented policies have been made by the state government to attract more and more investors in the state. After laying the foundation of investor-centric policies of the state, investment in infrastructure, availability of skilled manpower and good governance in the year 2023, till date, grounding of investment of Rs 75000 crore has been done in comparison to the MoU of Rs 3.56 lakh crore in the Global Investment Conference. Special focus is being laid on energy, school education and higher education, tourism, wellness and hospitality and horticulture for effective participation in the mission of Viksit Bharat by the state government.
Request to include Uttarakhand state in the category of 24 percent capital subsidy like the states of the Northeast
Chief Secretary Smt. Radha Raturi said that in view of the difficult geographical conditions and disasters of the state, promoting helicopter service is very important not only from the point of view of tourism but also from the point of view of traffic. Regarding the construction of small hydro power projects, She requested that like the north-eastern states, Uttarakhand also needs the cooperation of NITI Aayog, Government of India, to be included in the category of 24 percent Capital Subsidy.
Chief Secretary Smt. Radha Raturi said that by granting permission to the State Government for approval and implementation of projects of capacity less than 25 MW under hydropower schemes, about 170 MW additional power generation capacity in the State will be utilized as soon as possible and the use of power capacity up to about 3000 MW will also help in achieving the goals of Net Zero by producing clean energy under the vision of Shaskt Bharat @ 2047.
Request to include Lift Irrigation in the Guidelines of “PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana”
Chief Secretary Smt. Radha Raturi said that for other options of irrigation for the development of horticulture in the state, it is requested that Lift Irrigation should also be considered in the Guidelines of “PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana” funded by the Government of India. Through the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme, there has been unprecedented improvement and progress in the direction of water supply in the state. For this, keeping in mind the gradient of water sources of the mountainous region, Source Augmentation is also requested to be included in the guidelines of Jal Jeevan Mission. For the strong possibilities of high quality “Planting Material Hub” being made in Uttarakhand, cooperation is expected from the National Horticulture Board and National Seed Corporation, so that the state can become a Planting Material Hub and provide Planting Material to other states as well. In this regard, the state aspires for cooperation from the Central Government.
Developing Uttarakhand as a Knowledge Hub*
Chief Secretary Smt Radha Raturi said that the Service Sector Policy 2024 has been promulgated by the State Government to develop Uttarakhand as a Knowledge Hub. Under the Service Sector Policy, special focus has been placed on education, IT, data center, wellness, AYUSH, sports etc. The state has had an excellent education system in Mussoorie, Nainital and Dehradun since the beginning. At present, there are 23 private universities, 12 state, one central university and 4 institutions of national importance functioning in the state. To develop the state as a Knowledge Hub, attractive provisions have been made under the Service Sector Policy to establish K-12, national and international level institutions. There is a provision of 25 percent capital subsidy for K-12 schools on projects of more than Rs 25 crore in hilly areas and Rs 50 crore in plain areas. Whereas for the institutions of higher education, there is a provision of more than 25 per cent subsidy (maximum Rs 100 crore subsidy per project) on projects of more than Rs 50 crore in hilly areas and Rs 100 crore in plain areas. Keeping in view the relationship between entrepreneurship and industries, Centre of Innovation, Incubation, Entrepreneurship has been established in Dehradun universities at a cost of Rs 25 crore. Similarly, Central Instrumentation Facility has been established in Shridev Suman University to promote skill, entrepreneurship and research at a cost of Rs 66 crore. State Instrumentation Centre, Himalayan Medicine Plant Centre of Excellence and High Altitude Sport Training Centre have been established in Kumaon University at a cost of Rs 209 crore.
Himalayan Ecosystem and Climate Resilient
Chief Secretary Smt Radha Raturi said that the Himalayan ecosystem is one of the most fragile and biodiversity rich regions of the world, which provides water, biodiversity and ecosystem services to a large population. To make the Himalayan ecosystem climate resilient, a holistic approach is required which integrates environmental protection, sustainable resource management, disaster preparedness and community participation.
Due to climate change, there has been an increase in disaster related incidents, floods, landslides, cloudbursts, forest fires etc., along with adverse impact on agriculture and livelihood, traditional agricultural practices. Climate Responsive Rainfed Farming Project is being run with the help of World Bank to restore and protect watersheds, reduce the adverse effects of floods and soil erosion. With the aim of increasing carbon finance in forest panchayats and reducing carbon emissions, Nainital and Ranikhet have been registered in the Carbon Registry with the help of JICA. Under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the State Action plan for REDD+ in Uttarakhand has been prepared with the help of the Forest Research and Education Council (ICFRE) and the International Centre for Mountain Development (ICIMOD). With the aim of promoting organic farming, crop diversification and agroforestry, the Green Agriculture Project (2018-25) is underway in Uttarakhand with the help of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Long-term water management strategies are being developed for the monitoring and protection of glaciers.
Eco Tourism
Chief Secretary Smt Radha Raturi said that several steps are being taken to promote eco tourism in the state. These include certification of homestays and lodges etc. which follow environmentally friendly standards like effective waste management, energy efficiency and water conservation by Swachhata Green Leaf Rating (SGLR). 79 homestays of Nainital and Dehradun have been given Green Leaf rating. Through Deendayal Upadhyaya Griha Awas Yojana, financial assistance and training is being given to the local people to set up eco-friendly homestays, which is increasing the income of the local people. With the cooperation of the AYUSH department, 184 homestays are being developed as wellness stays, which are promoting wellness tourism. With the aim of promoting rural tourism, 18 villages have been identified for thematic development. Under the Vibrant Village Program, master plans are being prepared for Gunji in Pithoragarh and Mana village in Chamoli. Similarly, model village development plans are being prepared by the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi for Baghori in Uttarkashi and Sari village in Rudraprayag. Strict rules have been implemented to reduce the loss of biodiversity at places like Jim Corbett National Park and Valley of Flowers. Areas like Kedarnath and Badrinath have been declared plastic free. There are plans to expand this campaign to other tourist destinations as well.
Vibrant Village Program
Chief Secretary Smt. Radha Raturi said that under the Vibrant Village Program, a total of 51 villages from 5 blocks of three border districts Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pithoragarh have been selected. For the development of the said villages, mainly tourism development, livelihood generation, energy, road construction, skill development and strengthening of social facilities are being done. As per the instructions issued by the Government of India, after approval in the State Level Empowered Committee (SLSC) meeting convened under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary at the state level, a total of 523 schemes worth Rs 520.13 crore have been sent to the Government of India, against which 140 schemes worth Rs 195.76 crore have been approved. Under the Vibrant Village Program, construction of 43.96 km road has been approved and DPR has been constituted for the construction of 21 bridges. Construction of rain shelters, arrival plaza entrance gates, check posts etc. is in progress in various villages. Gunji Manela is being developed on the theme of Shiv Nagari and DPR has been approved for the construction of a tourist facility centre.
On this occasion, Vice Chairman of Uttarakhand SETU Ayog Shri Rajshekhar Joshi, Additional Chief Secretary Shri. Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretary Shri R. K. Sudhanshu, State Advisor NITI Aayog, Government of India Sonia Pant, Secretary Shri. R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Shri Shailesh Bagauli, Shri S.N. Pandey, Additional Secretary Shri. Vijay Kumar Jogdande, CPPGG’s ACEO Dr. Manoj Pant were present.
