Ignoring the ridicule the Opposition hurled on the Governor's keynote Address delivered on the maiden day of the Budget session on Wednesday, the Treasury bench conveyed thanks to the Governor for his positive and factual speech on Thursday, saying that it placed the roadmap of development for the next one year.
The vote of thanks was mooted by parliamentary affairs minister Indira Hridayesh. As she started reading the vote of thanks Chief Minister Harish Rawat along with a few MlAs entered the House. Then CM was found reaching up to the seat of MlA Navprabhat and whispered something in his ear.
In her address, Hridayesh said that the keynote has showcased the government's achievements aside from unfolding the developmental roadmap for the remaining one year of the present Assembly's term. In an oblique criticism of the Centre, she said that 14th Finance Commission's recommendations had landed the State government in dire straits, making it poorer by around Rs 1500 crore.
later, Navprabhat, after exchanging some words with the CM, addressed the House while speaking on the Governor's keynote. Taking potshots at the BJP MlAs, particularly, the Opposition leader Ajay Bhatt, he asked them not to remain ensconced in their constituencies and come out to feel the pulse of the people living outside their respective constituencies.
lauding the Governor's speech, he said that it had dwelt on myriad development schemes envisaged and executed by the State government to alleviate the common people's woes. He cited Mera Gao Mera Dhan (my village my money) and Mere Buzurg Mere Teerth (my elders my pilgrims). He also mentioned promotion of locally available food grains like Mandua and Jhangora. Besides, the government has pledged to build two rail over-bridges (ROB) at Mohkampur and Haridway by-pass and a tunnel at Datkali temple, he said, adding that with this projects, the government had shown how dedicated it was to address the people's grievances.
He further said that opening medical colleges is not a panacea as far as medical woes are concerned. "Instead of opening more medical colleges, we should stress on recruitment of more specialized faculties in the existing medical colleges," he said. He further said that in Dehradun alone, two private medical colleges have been running. "They have earned names, but in reality, they are lacking specialized faculties. Things should be corrected," he suggested.
He appealed to the Opposition to refrain from equating mining with scams. "It is required to save our precious soil. If we do not do mining river channelization would not be possible and ultimately it will destroy our agricultural land," the Congress MlA said.
Citing JNURM closed by the Union government that figured in the Governor's speech, he said winding it up arbitrarily spelled bad for development.
Talking about the Smart City project, Navprabhat said that the project being implemented would throw up three types of representation - rural, urban and Smart City-in future.
He further said that the Governor's speech has aptly mentioned the Centre denying fund to the State government for Ardh Kumbha Mela. He said that the Centre had sought to do away with the federal structure by scrapping the Planning Commission and replacing with Niti Ayog that is bereft of infrastructure. He asked the finance minister Indira Hridayesh to delve deeper to find that the loss incurred by the State government on that count was much higher than the estimated Rs 1500 crore. "You should issue a white paper on it," he said.
Pooh-poohing the treasury bench's claim, leader of the Opposition Ajay Bhatt reiterated his party's stance that the keynote had nothing substantial in it. "Things are said to be moving in the right direction, something that stands contrary to the reality," he said.
Throwing a barb at the State government, Bhatt said that the Congress flaying BJP as anti-Muslim had not cared to announce anything for the Madarsas.