The Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha released its manifesto for the Vidhan Sabha election 2017 while laying stress on its aim to create “leadership of the new generation which will not only be honest but also dedicated to the cause of its people and would be prepared to suffer the hardship that comes to the people who fight money and muscle power in today’s polity”.
Releasing that party’s manifesto in Dehradun on Tuesday, the URM president VK Bahguna said that people are disappointed with successive state governments of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party doing little towards achievement of the aims for which Uttarakhand was created about 16 years ago.
lambasting the high command culture of the two national parties, he elicited support for the regional party requesting voters to ask the national party candidates what they had done since statehood and list 10 things that have improved the condition of life in their constituencies.
Elaborating on the manifesto, Bahuguna said that if elected, the URM will totally revamp the planning machinery of the state and put a complete stop to top down planning. “The village/block and district level resources survey and mapping will be undertaken, human resources and the ecological and geological factors will be incorporated with expert help and a map of resources and their possible use will be prepared for each village and block in the state. Towards mitigating natural disasters, all geologically vulnerable areas will be surveyed and the population will be shifted to safer locations. The drainages of all major rivers and their tributaries will be surveyed and necessary action will be taken to reduce the risk of landslides and other calamities. Special efforts will be made to strengthen and restructure the forest department in the State. A new scheme will be launched for water harvesting in forest areas near habitation. The issues of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and other Central Government Institutions will be taken up with Central government for free flow of transfer of technology for promotion of forest/natural resources based livelihoods in the Himalayan belt." he said.
The manifesto also talks of total reform in the school education system, starting with facilitation of all infrastructure like buildings, computers, sport kits for students. It also states that the health system will undergo a complete revamp with one mobile healthcare van fitted with latest equipment and doctors to be stationed in all the blocks to undertake pathological test and provide basic health care facilities including maternity and child care. The non governmental organisations with proven track records of creating minimum of 100 jobs in the range of Rs 8,000 to 10,000 every month and or through durable assets in rural areas for youths and women entrepreneurs will be provided land and other resources to create employment opportunities based on local resources. A memorandum of association will be signed with such NGOs to create employment opportunities in a cluster of villages. Such NGOs will be accredited and if necessary through an Act to be enacted for this purpose. A special industrial package will be developed for sustainable development of resources providing raw material for micro and medium industrial enterprises.
The URM, will ensure through adequate policy and legislative measures that the people of Uttarakhand have control over the land, water and forests, avers the party’s manifesto. There shall be no interview in group C and D government job posts and examination for recruitment of posts shall be outsourced to agencies of repute outside the state to facilitate an end of corruption and nepotism, it states. A separate department for welfare of ex-soldiers and ex-paramilitary will be created to look after their welfare and a certain percentage of posts will be earmarked for them for direct entry in some departments where their expertise can be suitably utilised.