Budget session of Uttarakhand assembly begins

Dehradun, Mar 9: The budget session of Uttarakhand Assembly began here today with Governor Krishna Kant Paul's address to the House highlighting steps taken and proposed by the state government towards infrastructure development.

He also spoke about improving rural connectivity, measures to strengthen education and health facilities in villages and to generate self-employment opportunities to stop migration from the hills which has remained a cause of concern for successive governments in the state.

More than four thousand villages of Uttarakhand are yet to be brought under the network of roads. Of these road construction projects for 2800 villages have already been approved while efforts are also underway to link the rest of them with roads.

Considering the state's vulnerability to landslides, steps are also being taken to shorten the length of roads by building tunnels so that transportation continues uninterrupted in all weathers, Paul said.

Eight roads spanning 846 kms, currently under the state government, are proposed to be converted into National Highways this year, while efforts will also be made to upgrade Chardham pilgrimage routes.

Highlighting measures proposed by the government in view of the state's vulnerability to natural disasters like excess rains, earthquakes and landslides, the governor said 64 automatically run Meteorological centres are proposed to be set up by Project Implementing Units in sensitive areas for precise weather forecast with help from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Two doplar weather radars are also being installed besides construction of 60 helipads in high altitude areas for rapid evacuation of people to safety in times of crises.

Teachers are being appointed to be posted in schools where there are no teachers. 515 vacancies for the posts of principals have been filled through promotions.

Patting his government's back for opening a number of colleges in the remote hills of the state, Paul said there were 35 colleges in the state at the time of its creation and the number has risen to 94.

Reiterating the state government's commitment to improving health facilities in the state, Paul said it has been made compulsory for trained doctors to render their services for a minimum of three years in remote hill areas of the state.

PTI