Uttarakhand Governor Krishan Kant Paul has greeted the people of the State on the occasion of the completion of 17 years of the existence of Uttarakhand.
In his message to the people of the state on the eve of the occasion, the Governor paid homage to all known and unknown martyrs and activists of the Uttarakhand statehood movement. He said the State has performed well in the seventeen years and despite natural calamities, it has been able to create a special identity for itself.
“Uttarakhand is now counted among the leading states of the country.We have achieved a lot despite many challenges .We must ensure that the GDP growth benefits the poor, the farmers and the underprivileged.The gap between cities and villages, between industry and agriculture needs to be bridged”.
He said the State Government had taken many steps to do that but more efforts were needed to strengthen the hill villages economically.
The Governor said that in the new progressive India, Uttarakhand was playing an active, significant role. “I am sure that by 2019, there will be hundred per cent literacy in the state and by 2022, our state will be leading in achieving the objective of farmers’ incomes being doubled .We must ensure that the GDP growth benefits the poor, the farmers and the underprivileged.”
The Governor said the Government of India had taken many measures to create a strong foundation for Uttarakhand. “It is a reason for happiness that work on the Char Dham all-weather road has accelerated after its foundation was laid by the prime minister ,and work is also starting on the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project. The Char Dham Rail link plan will be helpful to the pilgrims and tourists besides the local people.”
He said it was it the state’s good fortune that the president Ram Nath Kovind and prime minister Narendra Modi came to Uttarakhand to seek the blessings of Kedarnath and Badrinath.
This has given a message of a safe Uttarakhand to the world and also boosted the morale of officials and staff associated with Char Dham yatra.
He said it was an achievement that a separate department for Skill Development and employment generation has been constituted in the state which aims at ensuring skill development of 40,000 youth in the next three years. Idea hubs are being set up in the State.
More efforts are, however, needed in developing the skills of rural youth and women, especially in the hill districts. E-Governance and E-District services are available and the public distribution system is also computerised.
“Uttarakhand is known as Devbhumi in the entire country and the world.Without its participation, the Namami Gange project could not have been a success. Uttarakhand is playing an important role in the Swachh Bharat mission .The entire rural area of the state has been made Open Defecation Free.
The initiatives of Swachh Bharat in the state have been described as best practices by the central government .By 2018, we aim to make urban areas also ODF.” He said we need to provide basic facilities in remote areas of the state to check migration from there.
“Tele Medicine and Tele-Radiology will be made available for remote areas and we will focus on minimizing the maternal mortality rate.
Horticulture, floriculture and medicinal plants cultivation and cash crops can strengthen the rural economy. The state government has decided to give a loan of upto Rs.one lakh to farmers at the interest rate of only two per cent. Value-based education of a high standard can bring about positive changes in society. Practical knowledge should also be imparted and skill development is very important too.
In universities, original research must be encouraged for the creation of knowledge. I call on the youth of the state to participate in Swachh Bharat mission, Digital India and Make in India campaigns. If we all resolve to do our best, we can surely attain the Uttarakhand of which the martyrs and activists had dreamt. Wherever we are, we must fulfill our duties and responsibilities. This will be our best homage to the martyrs of this state,” said the Governor.