Alarmed over non-implementation of several Cabinet decisions meant for development in the State, the Chief Minister Harish Rawat convened a review meeting with the officials here in Dehradun on Wednesday evening. The marathon meeting ran into around four hours, starting at 4 pm — something that indicates how determined the Chief Minister is to have things done through a ‘laggard’ bureaucracy. The Chief Minister is said to have instructed the officials to execute the decisions sealed by the Cabinet immediately to avoid being entrapped in litigation.
Sources said that most of the Cabinet decisions related to Kedarnath or Char Dhams have been implemented. Talking to media persons after the meeting, the Chief Minister said that the officials have executed 380 out of 443 Cabinet decisions so far. Besides, they have also executed around 95 percent of the reaming 63 Cabinet decisions. Some bottlenecks are stopping things from being duly completed. “However, we have taken full stock of the technical stumbling blocks in course of the review meeting. We hope, things would be completed soon,” Rawat said.
The meeting disclosed that since Harish Rawat was saddled at the helm of the State Government as the Chief Minister 26 Cabinet meetings have been held in course of which 515 proposals have been placed before the Cabinet. However, 55 proposals were later dumped due to technical obstacles coming in the way. Seventeen out of 443 Cabinet decisions were referred either to the Cabinet Committee or the Cabinet sub-committee.
Regarding 380 out of 443 Cabinet decisions, the State Government has issued Government orders so far. Remaining 63 decisions are floundering still due to technical impediments. Although 95 percent works of remaining 63 decisions have been completed they could not see the light of the day with just five percent of things remaining unfinished.
It would be pertinent to mention here that there is a provision by which the State Government is bound to place things when the Assembly is not in session before the Cabinet. Moreover, the Cabinet decisions cannot be challenged in the court. However, at the same time, the State Government will have to table the decisions before the House when it sits next, failing which the decisions would be declared null and void.