Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat assured Congress members that the State Government will fulfill the promises made in its 2012 election manifesto. He informed party members that he had issued orders regarding 71 points of the party manifesto. The CM said this to a 90 member Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee delegation headed by PCC chief Kishore Upadhyaya which called on him here on Thursday for the first time since he became the Chief Minister.
The Congress delegation emphasised on two of the points in the party manifesto- effective implementation of the National Food Security Scheme and the provision of clean drinking water along with construction of toilets in the rural areas. Addressing the party delegation, the CM said that he expects the guidance of MlAs and senior party members in implementation of the party manifesto. Welcoming the focus of the party on implementation of the NFSS and provision of clean drinking water and toilet construction in rural areas, he said that adequate funds would be ensure for these works. He expressed hope that toilets will be constructed in 90 per cent villages in the next three years.
The memorandum submitted by Upadhyaya to Rawat states, “The State Government had completed preparations for implementing the NFSS started by the UPA Government but the NDA Government has put a stop on the Central assistance for implementation of this scheme causing a major problem for poor families. The State Government has made the welcome decision of implementing the State food security scheme but the ration rates fixed under this scheme are not affordable for poor families. Since it is the moral obligation of the State to ensure that those in need receive cheap rations, Uttarakhand should implement a scheme on the lines of Tamil Nadu to provide free food grains to the poor.”
Upadhyaya said that due to lack of awareness and economic backwardness, many families in the rural areas of Uttarakhand continue to defecate in the open due to absence of toilets. The women face more problems due to this situation. All the Congress members of Uttarakhand have requested the CM to ensure that all families in the State have toilets.