The State Government will undertake all possible efforts to facilitate redressal of the issues pertaining to the Van Gujjar community. Priority will also be accorded to Van Gujjar community members for execution of work related to the jungles, said Chief Minister Harish Rawat. He was addressing a gathering at the Van Gujjar meeting organised on Wednesday at the Van Gujjar settlement in Gaindikhata.
The Chief Minister opined that along with guarding the jungle, members of the Van Gujjar community are doing well in other activities including farming and animal husbandry. Averring that all possible effort will be made towards redressal of problems related to Van Gujjar community, he said that directions had already been issued to the forest department officials to conduct the verification of 1610 families in the Rajaji national park area.
The CM further said that members of the Van Gujjar community will be accorded priority among applicants for works executed in forest areas. Referring to the laldhang area, the Chief Minister opined that there is considerable scope for attracting tourists to this area in the future. Members of the Van Gujjar community will also be rehabilitated at selected areas, for which the Government is consistently making the required effort.
Rawat said, “In Uttarakhand, during the past two years the average per-person income has increased from Rs84,000 to Rs1.73 lakh. Uttarakhand is also one of the six Indian States stated to be making rapid progress,” said the Chief Minister.
He further said that the State Government had done the task of connecting members of every segment of society through various schemes.
Uttarakhand is also the Indian State to facilitate provision of maximum types of pensions. Various welfare schemes have also been
implemented by the State Government especially in the interests of women.
At present a total of about 7.13 lakh persons in the State are availing of widow pension, pensions for the elderly and differently abled members of society among other types of pensions, averred CM.
The national secretary of the Mahila Congress and the daughter of the Chief Minister, Anupama Rawat, former MlA Ambrish Kumar, district magistrate HS Chugh and SSP Rajiv Swaroop were also among those present on the occasion.