The Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar along with principal secretaries, secretaries, additional secretaries, under-secretaries and joint secretaries participated in the run for good governance, flagged off by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat at the Secretariat, on Tuesday to mark the State foundation week. The commemorative run commenced at the Secretariat and after passing through several places like Rajpur Road, Global Chowk, Pacific Hotel Crossing, Subhash Road, Naini Bakery and Bahal Chowk returned to the Secretariat.
Before the run started, CM addressed the Secretariat officers and said that the run is meant to send the message of the State administration’s resolve to speed up development while providing the people with a responsive governance.
“The common people being the centre of every scheme the Government formulates, we must reach out to them with the assurance of a good governance,” he said. Reminding all that the State is set to complete 17 years since its inception, he said that their focus is on bringing all the natives of the State now settled outside back to the State. “The challenge is tough. We all must work hard to rise up to it,” he said.
“Programmes are also being held to revive two rivers now in precarious State, Kosi in Almora and Rispana in Dehradun. If we do not revive these rivers now then they would be non-existent in the near future. What is needed is long–term plans with the involvement of the local people. For the revival, Parmarth Niketan has given assistance of `1 crore. We would embark on large scale tree plantation drive along Rispana. People’s participation is a must for the plan to bear fruit,” he said.
CM also referred to the school visits by some IAS officers and said that the on the ground experiences they have acquired during such visits would help firm up a policy that would substantially improve the education system in the State.