 "We must get green bonus to preserve the state's forests: Harish Rawat")
Harish Rawat, the Uttarakhand chief minister, tells Shishir Prashant that his focus is on development; preparations for assembly elections next year can wait. Edited excerpts:
It is believed that you have started preparations for the 2017 assembly elections. What is your agenda in the run-up to the elections?
We will start preparations for the assembly elections only in November 2016. Right now we are focusing on development. The agenda is in two parts: one is overall development and the other, social welfare programmes. For welfare schemes, mass contact is necessary, for which we have started public hearings. We are not only giving a patient hearing to the people, but I am also reviewing the government portal, Samadhan, every month for public grievances. This way, I can talk to randomly selected people and enquire about their grievances through telephone and video conferences. Besides, on two Saturdays, I talk to people to know their views on the working of my government. By doing this, we get feedback about the kind of work we are doing. But all these people are randomly selected so that we get a fair assessment. On Sunday, people talk to me about their grievances.
Our position is very good as far as overall development is concerned. In the last financial year, we spent cent per cent of the funds under the district plan and 80 per cent under the state plan. In case of externally aided programmes, 70 per cent of the funds were spent. Due to our efforts, growth has accelerated. Per capita income has reached Rs 1.16 lakh from Rs 1 lakh in the new survey. Our position is also good in terms of the human development index (HDI).
Any innovative scheme that you are going to launch?
We are going to launch a marketing campaign on Uttarakhand's beauty comprising its lakes, hot springs, rivers and national parks among other things. We will link them with our culture and heritage. We are also planning new heli-services, ropeways and metro systems. We have started work on hydel projects, with a total capacity of over 1,000 Mw in the next one year.
You say Uttarakhand has suffered a loss of over Rs 3,000 crore due to the new funding pattern of the NITI Aayog. How will it affect the development works in the state?
Certainly it will affect the development works in the state. We are looking for other options. We have raised this issue with the central government and I am hopeful it would amend its decision. We are also a special category state and the only difference in this regard is funding. The Centre must take corrective measures.
You are focusing on the new hydel projects in the Yamuna and Kali rivers. Is this a new strategy to overcome the loss due to the ban on Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers?
We are looking for bigger hydel projects such as Lakhwar (320 Mw) and Kishau (650 Mw). At the same time, we have also proposed the development of small hydroelectric projects (1 Mw to 25 Mw). In addition, we are also looking for renewable energy sources such as solar energy, where there is substantial scope.
What is the legal position on the Tehri hydel project?
A petition on the Tehri project is pending in the Supreme Court with the plea that the 25 per cent share of Uttar Pradesh in the project be transferred to Uttarakhand. In the other two projects - Vishnuprayag (400 Mw) and Alaknanda (330Mw) - located in our state, we want the Centre to intervene because the power from these projects is being sold to Uttar Pradesh instead of Uttarakhand. The floods in the two projects have done big damage in the areas and the power purchase agreement with Uttar Pradesh cannot be justified.
What are your views on hydro-power projects, which are facing legal and environmental hurdles?
We want to urge the central government to prepare a national policy on the use of natural resources. We have forests that are giving oxygen to the country. But what are we getting in return? We must get green bonus for preserving these forests. Yes, there should be an ecological balance, but when we are not allowed to build hydel projects we must get compensation in terms of power. We have rivers and we want to harness it. Power is not a requirement of our state only, but also a national one.
The rehabilitation of over 350 villages that are facing threat due to seismic instability is still pending, especially in the wake of the 2013 deluge?
This is a massive rehabilitation exercise, which is beyond our capacity and reach. The central government's financial help is needed. There are 15,000 people residing in these villages. According to our estimate, Rs 15-20 lakh is needed to rehabilitate one family. We can see for ourselves that these villages need to be relocated.
All your efforts for the smooth conduct of the Chardham Yatra was negated by heavy rains, which disrupted the pilgrimage badly.
This is a natural phenomenon where the Chardham yatra is repeatedly disrupted during the monsoons. But this year, it is creditable that pilgrims in large numbers came to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Hemkund Sahib. According to our estimate, nearly 600,000 pilgrims have already visited these shrines. Nearly 197,000 pilgrims have so far visited Badrinath alone.
When will you fill the lone cabinet post that is lying vacant after the death of the transport minister?
I am doing my calculation and certainly I will fill the post at the appropriate time. I am anxious to have a minister, who can share my burden.
How are your relations with Vijay Bahuguna now?
The opinion of Vijay Bahuguna is very important to our state.
Many corruption scandals are rocking the country. But you have put all the alleged scandals that occurred during the previous BJP government on the back burner. Why?
I can only say that the law will take its own course. But I believe that the assets of politicians should be scrutinised closely. There should be a cap on their assets. Politicians must understand that politics cannot become a ladder for amassing wealth.
It is believed that you have started preparations for the 2017 assembly elections. What is your agenda in the run-up to the elections?
We will start preparations for the assembly elections only in November 2016. Right now we are focusing on development. The agenda is in two parts: one is overall development and the other, social welfare programmes. For welfare schemes, mass contact is necessary, for which we have started public hearings. We are not only giving a patient hearing to the people, but I am also reviewing the government portal, Samadhan, every month for public grievances. This way, I can talk to randomly selected people and enquire about their grievances through telephone and video conferences. Besides, on two Saturdays, I talk to people to know their views on the working of my government. By doing this, we get feedback about the kind of work we are doing. But all these people are randomly selected so that we get a fair assessment. On Sunday, people talk to me about their grievances.
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Can you talk more about the overall development in the state?
Our position is very good as far as overall development is concerned. In the last financial year, we spent cent per cent of the funds under the district plan and 80 per cent under the state plan. In case of externally aided programmes, 70 per cent of the funds were spent. Due to our efforts, growth has accelerated. Per capita income has reached Rs 1.16 lakh from Rs 1 lakh in the new survey. Our position is also good in terms of the human development index (HDI).
Any innovative scheme that you are going to launch?
We are going to launch a marketing campaign on Uttarakhand's beauty comprising its lakes, hot springs, rivers and national parks among other things. We will link them with our culture and heritage. We are also planning new heli-services, ropeways and metro systems. We have started work on hydel projects, with a total capacity of over 1,000 Mw in the next one year.
You say Uttarakhand has suffered a loss of over Rs 3,000 crore due to the new funding pattern of the NITI Aayog. How will it affect the development works in the state?
Certainly it will affect the development works in the state. We are looking for other options. We have raised this issue with the central government and I am hopeful it would amend its decision. We are also a special category state and the only difference in this regard is funding. The Centre must take corrective measures.
You are focusing on the new hydel projects in the Yamuna and Kali rivers. Is this a new strategy to overcome the loss due to the ban on Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers?
We are looking for bigger hydel projects such as Lakhwar (320 Mw) and Kishau (650 Mw). At the same time, we have also proposed the development of small hydroelectric projects (1 Mw to 25 Mw). In addition, we are also looking for renewable energy sources such as solar energy, where there is substantial scope.
What is the legal position on the Tehri hydel project?
A petition on the Tehri project is pending in the Supreme Court with the plea that the 25 per cent share of Uttar Pradesh in the project be transferred to Uttarakhand. In the other two projects - Vishnuprayag (400 Mw) and Alaknanda (330Mw) - located in our state, we want the Centre to intervene because the power from these projects is being sold to Uttar Pradesh instead of Uttarakhand. The floods in the two projects have done big damage in the areas and the power purchase agreement with Uttar Pradesh cannot be justified.
What are your views on hydro-power projects, which are facing legal and environmental hurdles?
We want to urge the central government to prepare a national policy on the use of natural resources. We have forests that are giving oxygen to the country. But what are we getting in return? We must get green bonus for preserving these forests. Yes, there should be an ecological balance, but when we are not allowed to build hydel projects we must get compensation in terms of power. We have rivers and we want to harness it. Power is not a requirement of our state only, but also a national one.
The rehabilitation of over 350 villages that are facing threat due to seismic instability is still pending, especially in the wake of the 2013 deluge?
This is a massive rehabilitation exercise, which is beyond our capacity and reach. The central government's financial help is needed. There are 15,000 people residing in these villages. According to our estimate, Rs 15-20 lakh is needed to rehabilitate one family. We can see for ourselves that these villages need to be relocated.
All your efforts for the smooth conduct of the Chardham Yatra was negated by heavy rains, which disrupted the pilgrimage badly.
This is a natural phenomenon where the Chardham yatra is repeatedly disrupted during the monsoons. But this year, it is creditable that pilgrims in large numbers came to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Hemkund Sahib. According to our estimate, nearly 600,000 pilgrims have already visited these shrines. Nearly 197,000 pilgrims have so far visited Badrinath alone.
When will you fill the lone cabinet post that is lying vacant after the death of the transport minister?
I am doing my calculation and certainly I will fill the post at the appropriate time. I am anxious to have a minister, who can share my burden.
How are your relations with Vijay Bahuguna now?
The opinion of Vijay Bahuguna is very important to our state.
Many corruption scandals are rocking the country. But you have put all the alleged scandals that occurred during the previous BJP government on the back burner. Why?
I can only say that the law will take its own course. But I believe that the assets of politicians should be scrutinised closely. There should be a cap on their assets. Politicians must understand that politics cannot become a ladder for amassing wealth.