Amidst political turmoil cantering around the CD purportedly showing CM’s personal secretary Mohammad Shahid demanding bribe to facilitate private liquor traders in Fl-2, Chief Minister Harish Rawat announced two decisions on Wednesday. He said his Government has decided to withdraw the letters on 10 per cent horizontal reservation to the Statehood activists ( Rajya Aandolnakaris).
At the same time, the State Government would open a public canteen at Clock Tower where people would get meal @ `18-19 only, he said.
Taking cognizance on the media report that State Government has withdrawn 10 per cent horizontal reservation to the Rajya Aandolankari, Rawat said the decision to withdraw the letter had already bee taken, adding that Public Service Commission (PSC), Uttarakhand had been earlier sent a letter about the reservation.
“It does not, however, mean that we have rescinded the order completely. To avoid unnecessary delay, we have decided to withdraw the letter for the time being. We have already constituted a committee led by the principal secretary Personnel Radha Raturi to find out ways to implement the 10 percent horizontal reservation,” CM said. “In a bid to provide nutritious food to the people at subsidised rates, the state government has decided to run canteen for common man. Initially, the canteen will be opened at Clock Tower and anybody can have meal @ Rs 18-19 per meal. Currently, this would be run on experimental basis and once it succeeds we would open such canteens in other districts too,” Rawat said.
He said he has asked Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) to prepare a menu and fix quantity of the items to be provided to the people. “Once things are fixed MDDA will open the canteen at a MDDA complex near Clock Tower,” he said. However, he declined to comment when asked how much the state government would have to bear on the count of the envisaged popular canteen scheme.