Since assuming charge as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on February 1 this year, Harish Rawat has set an example in Governance by working overtime to ensure timely rehabilitation of those affected in the June 2013 disaster and the restoration of road connectivity and infrastructure before the start of the Yatra season. He starts his day by meeting visitors at his official residence (Bijapur guest house) and generally ends his day chairing a meeting with officials in the presence of chief secretary and other senior officials before once again meeting the remaining visitors at the end of the day.Though the opposition alleges that decisions of the State Government are politically influenced, the CM states that his main focus is on the disaster affected and not the elections. Rawat has been burning the midnight oil in his efforts to restore normalcy in the State and it was at the end of one of his late night meetings at the Secretariat, from 1 am to 2.05 am, that he talked about his priorities, challenges and vision for the State in an exclusive interview to Sunil Kumar and Paritosh Kimothi of The Pioneer.

You are working more than 18 hours (9 am to 3 am) a day; so people, including politicians, want to know where the Chief Minister gets his energy fromIJ

Motivation is the basic mantra for this because if you are motivated then you will be able to spare that much time of your life to serve the people. As you know that state is running through a severe crisis and it is my responsibility to take state ahead from this situation.

The State is going to face Panchayat election and general election as well so don’t you think you would get limited time to serve the State before enforcement of model code of conduct for these electionsIJ

I took oath as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on February 1, 2014 and immediately after me and my cabinet colleagues had to prepare for the budget session in the Assembly which began on February 6 and concluded on February 20.

I had to face no-confidence motion and later we faced another challenge in organising AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi’s Dehradun rally on February 23. Meanwhile, I have set my priority to re-build Uttarakhand, which had witnessed devastation due to disaster in 2013. I have fixed myself the target of ensuring resumption of the Char Dham Yatra. For this I have given April 30 as the deadline for restoring road connectivity. If we miss the deadline then people, whose livelihoods are totally dependent on tourism and

pilgrimage would miss the opportunity to earn this tourist season but timely resumption of the Yatra will help bring their lives back on track.

As far as model code of conduct is concerned then during budget session an MlA had elicited focus on the need to have proper delimitation of Panchayats before convening Panchayat election and even Assembly speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal gave his pronouncement on it. To appraise the court about the Assembly’s sentiment we filed a petition in the High Court seeking some more days but the HC rejected it. However, we are ready to conduct three tier Panchayat election.

Currently I am facing two major challenges- ensuring rehabilitation and reconstruction and the election as well. We need adequate manpower for meeting both these challenges. To cope with these two challenges I had requested the State Election Commissioner (SEC) to conduct Panchayat election in lesser time period and the SEC agreed to conduct the election in two phases instead of three. With this decision we would be able to deploy our manpower to meet both challenges. As far time is concern then our situation is not comfortable because the challenge is tough and broad.

With people looking towards the new CM with hope what challenges do you face in meeting their expectationsIJ

I would like to assure the people that CM Harish Rawat would not occupy the chief minister’s residence as long as the disaster affected people are living in temporary shelters. We have learn that management is very important after disaster so I am using this time for planning to ensure execution of projects across the state including in disaster affected areas. My biggest concern is that will I not be able to execute the plans drafted by us. Rehabilitation and reconstruction are the biggest challenges before the state government and I will try my best to provide relief to the people. Again I would assert that we will restore road connectivity by April 30.

Do you think that your government would be able to meet the deadline you have setIJ If yes, then how do you plan to achieve thisIJ

Of course yes. The State is facing a tough challenge but we are using all resources to plug the loopholes in governance. For this we made an intensive plan for execution on ground. For instance we have asked Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to build the route from Rambara to Kedarnath via lincholi. The State will provide medicine, water, ration and construction materials to BRO to help it execute the work in Kedar valley without any hitches. The Public Works Department will undertake road works before Rambara for which we have formed a Special Task Force (STF) led by a DIG level officer and nominated Director of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi to form the team. The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has been empowered to take a decision on how to establish shops in Kedar valley. For this the BKTC has demanded Rs 30-32 crore and we are working on it.

To execute remaining works the State Government has formed Project Implementation Units (PIU) led by Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) level officers. They have been empowered to approve work proposals costing upto Rs one crore per project. They will take all decisions including selection, proposal and sanction under their jurisdiction. These PIUs have started execution of about 500 small and medium projects. The decentralization achieved by this step has helped speed up works related to water supply, rebuilding damaged schools, roads and bridges.

How does the Government view concerns raised by scientists about unscientific road constructions abetting landslides and other problemsIJ

This is a problem indeed so the road construction strategy is being changed with focus on various factors including slope stabilisation. However, we will work on this after we have first restored road connectivity. The dumping of debris excavated during road works will also be stopped and scientific measures will be adopted.

Do you have an estimate of the number of water supply pipelines damaged and the steps taken to repair theseIJ

Between 1,500 and 2,000 water supply lines were damaged and we have decentralised power to repair these.  With the help of Asian Development Bank (ADB) big projects are being executed and small projects are being executed with disaster fund. The PIUs can build a project worth of Rs one crore; district magistrate can execute project costing upto Rs five crore and commissioner can approve project costing upto Rs10 crore while projects costing more than Rs10 crore each will be approved by the State government.

How will you build major roads, which were completely washed away, in less than 60 days because Char Dham Yatra is supposed to resume by May this yearIJ

It is a major challenge facing us and we are developing a mechanism for this. Several big bridges and flood protection works were sanctioned to help restore connectivity.

Do you have any plan about saving Uttarkashi from flood and rebuild it after last year’s devastationIJ

To ensure timely execution of flood protection works we have formed a separate irrigation division and allocated work too. This division has been directed to invite tenders to execute the flood protection works. Since we are not getting any bidder currently, we have decided to float fresh tenders at all India level. The flood protection works will be executed on war footing because we have time till June. We have also instructed officials to temporarily alter the course of the rivers to execute flood protection works before rainy season. Our rivers are snow fed and some of them have also changed course. Earlier Chuarabaritaal, where water accumulated after percolation from snow, was working as cushion between river and snow but now this cushion has been removed so we have to maintain course of river as well. For this we have decided to protect our embankment with netting through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

Even eight months after disaster, the people who lost their kinfolks are reported to be seeking compensation from the State. Are you aware of this and how will you ensure proper compensation distribution among the affectedIJ

Humanism is a key factor in any and we know that 800 locals died in Kedar valley during the 2013 disaster. We have made a fool-proof rehabilitation package for ensuring all round rehabilitation of the disaster affected including their psychological and economic rehabilitation as many had lost their means of livelihood. We will continue providing Rs3,500 to the affected families for house rent till they get their own home.

We are also paying the fee of affected students, disbursing compensation to the affected including priests in affected areas. To re-establish the business in affected areas state government has decided to given grant cum loan under Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali scheme with a limit of upto Rs50 lakh.

Applicants would get 50 per cent of the loan as subsidy and will have to pay four percent interest on remaining 50 percent two years after loan disbursal. For instance if a business man takes Rs10 lakh loan in 2014 then the subsidy amount would be Rsfive lakh and no interest will be payable on the remaining amount till 2016 and later they have to pay interest of mere four percent between 2016-18 after which their Easy Monthly Installment (EMI) would start.

This grant cum loan would be in addition to ex-gratia amount. We are busy in working out how to start disbursement of the loan among the beneficiaries with any affected persons being eligible for loan against the loss of taxi, hotel, restaurant and mule as well.

What are the other challenges facing you and what will be the thrust areasIJ

Other than reconstruction, three main thrust areas including human capacity building, rejuvenating agriculture and  linking water resources to environmental upgradation.

For human capacity building we will focus on skill development and phase-wise conversion of ITIs into centres of excellence along with other measures to revamp our education system.

In the agriculture sector  we will encourage best practices and use of best seeds in our irrigated farms in the Terai and rejuvenate farming in the mountains. For this we have decided to pay pension to farmers aged above 60 years cultivating their land.

We plan to link our water resources and upgrade the environment with steps like building small ponds in forests to recharge ground water, plantation of broad leaved species and fodder species apart from encouraging animal husbandry. The State will later count the number of trees maintained by the locals who will be paid for this. Encouraging eco tourism will be one of the measures aimed at achieving ecology based economy. Power is not a problem as we can always but it and I am not mad for power plants. We are also focusing on the health sector.

Earlier universal medical cover was given to BPl families only but now APl families would also get this facility for upto Rs30000. To promote investment we have taken some decisions which will increase financial resources in the mountains. The brewing of beer or liquor using fruits and grains like mandua from Uttarakhand as raw material has been linked to our excise policy so that cultivators will also benefit.

How will you seek public mandate for Congress candidates in Panchayat electionIJ

Currently Harish Rawat is not focusing on elections because we want to serve the people and hope that they would reciprocate by favouring us. For instance we are laying stress on rebuilding and repair of roads leading to villages and maintaining uniformity in rehabilitation of people. Don’t you think that people would respond to thisIJ

Since your were made the CM  the opposition which was hoping to win all five lok Sabha seats in the general elections appears to be revamping its strategy to counter you. Congress workers are motivated but they are anticipating who will be Harish Rawat’s successor in Haridwar Parliamentary constituencyIJ

Thanks for the compliment but I stress that  my main concern is rebuilding Uttarakhand and nothing else. As far as my successor is concerned, it is for the party high command to decide as I am only a soldier of the party.

People are curious to know from where you will contest the assembly by-election to be elected to the Uttarakhand assemblyIJ

I repeat that I don’t want to waste precious time when state is reeling under the effects of disaster. I could have remained in Delhi and enjoyed a comfortable political position as the results of elections here would not have affected my position. However, I have taken the responsibility in Uttarakhand and my only concern is rebuilding the State and resumption of Char Dham Yatra for which the roadmap has been built with the focus now being on executing it. I myself don’t know which assembly constituency I would contest the by poll from.

What would you say regarding talk of CM Harish Rawat running one man show by delaying allocation of portfolios of cabinet ministersIJ

Such talk is absurd as the situation has been tough since I began my term as the CM. I took oath along with all the existing cabinet ministers. That time I could have allocated them their existing portfolios but I did not do so because I want them to work without a break for the next three years. For this I am laying stress on the governance system. Earlier portfolios were allocated distribution in a manner which posed problems for the ministers and secretaries concerned as several departments are inter-linked.

I am grateful to my cabinet colleagues because they understood this problem and did not pressurise me on this issue. I have focused on streamlining governance and portfolios will be allocated to the cabinet ministers shortly.