Refuting allegations that the Centre is not clearing funds for the State’s development, State BJP chief Ajay Bhatt said that three important Union ministers, including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, are visiting Uttarakhand this month to reply to the discrimination charges.
“Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad will visit on October 15. He would have a mind-boggling session with the State lawyers. Then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will visit Dehradun on October 22 and interact with the professionals, including doctors, engineers, lawyers, senior journalists, industrialist and traders,” he said, adding that they would convince the people of the Centre going out of its way to help the State move further.
On October 23, the Union Power Minister Peeyush Goyel is coming to Dehradun, Bhatt informed, adding that he would interact with the people to convince them of the development-friendly approach of the Centre vis-à-vis Uttarakhand.
“As per the data provided by the Centre, Rs 50,000 crore has been allotted for construction of national highways in Uttarakhand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was slated to lay the foundation stone in March this year. But the political turmoil that ensued delayed things. Now, we have been seeking time from the PM for the foundation laying ceremony. Besides, Rs 11,000 crore has been allotted to Uttarakhand for the construction of all-weather roads. This would help the roads remain unaffected by landslide, which happens at some places at regular intervals during the rainy season,” Bhatt said.
He further said that the Union tourism ministry has allotted over Rs 200 crore to develop Tehri lake as a tourism destination. “The foundation was laid, but the State Government did not bother to carry the picture of the local MP for sectarian reasons,” he said.