The State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) will soon be passed in the Vidhan Sabha of Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat stated while delivering his address at a meeting of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national Capital on Sunday.
He also apprised the meeting about the state’s preparations for the implementation of GST. For its effective implementation, technical training of various departmental officials, U-SWAN and setting up of Radio Frequency System, GST registration of all the traders, promotion of data migration, dissemination of information regarding provisions of GST are being conducted, said the Chief Minister.
He requested to provide assistance of Rs 2,000 crore per annum for special projects to the State. He apprised that the state is incurring loss of Rs 1500 crore per annum due to recommendations of 14th Finance Commission. He also underlined the importance of developing Green Accounting Mechanism. He suggested to constitute a separate ministry for hilly and north eastern states which will draft development strategy of these states and also set up separate wing in NITI Aayog for the purpose at least.
There are immense potentials in hydro, solar and other renewable energy sectors in the State. State wants cent percent electrification, 24 x 7 electricity supply to consumers and providing cheap electricity to its citizens. The Forest and Environment Ministry to conduct a survey to decide the limitations of the State so that Uttarakhand might take benefits of Externally aided projects for power transmission and distributions. Central Government should give us compensation worth Rs 1650 crore for power projects being delayed due to not getting required NOCs and various uncertainties in this regard.
Implementations process of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act-2013 needed to be made more practical in view of ground realities along with developing infrastructure facilities in the remotest frontiers of the State considering the geographical, international borders and strategical importance of State. Social Impact Assessment needed be made more practical in this regard, Chief Minister emphasized.
Appreciating the NITI Aayog for imparting advisory facilities to the States CM Rawat added that State Government had presented detail of schemes worth more than Rs 50 crore before the NITI Ayog. States including the north eastern states have been provided required assistance considering their limited resources.
He requested to provide mobile connectivity to the remaining villages across the State. State Government has proposed the computerisation of Public Distribution System, construction of State Data Center, State Service Delivery Gateway and video conferencing facilities in all the offices of State.The various strategic steps such as increasing dependency on millets and oilseed production, developing State as Seed State, commercialisation of local food grains, improving the working conditions of women farmers, increasing crop yield, promoting organic farming etc, to promote agriculture in the State.
Uttarakhand is providing eco services worth Rs 40000 crore based on joint report of lead India, Central Statistics Department and Indian Forest Management Institute to the nation and world so it must be granted at least 10 percent untied fund of its eco-services.
He demanded Rs 4000 crore as Green Bonus considering the immense contribution made by the state in ecological services. He took up the matter of Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone and asked that the matter be reviewed in public interest.
He asked that in Bhagirathi eco sensitive zone steep slope is 20 degree which should be 60 degree for which the necessary amendment should be made accordingly. Highlighting the incidents of human-animal conflicts in the States he also stressed on the development of smart villages equipped with Bio-Digester toilets, Solar Power lED etc for those 337 villages which fall under disaster sensitive zone.
Stating that 3086 villages are yet to be facilitated with mobile phone connectivity, the chief minister asked that instruction be issued to the telecommunication department to provide mobile phone connectivity to enable implementation of the vision of Digital India on the ground.