Expectations galore from new government in Uttarkhand

After impressive victory in the Assembly elections, Trivendra Singh Rawat Cabinet has its hands full

If the Assembly election victory for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttarakhand was prodigious, the expectations of the people from the new government are manifold.
 
The challenges before the new chief minister, Trivendra Singh Rawat, are also plenty. From the scourge of ever-increasing migration from the hills to the dwindling growth rate, Trivendra Rawat will have to pull out all stops to usher in development and help restore the broken economy.
 
But corruption remains a big impediment in the development process. A series of alleged corruption scandals, which were swirling around the previous Harish Rawat government have dented Uttarakhand’s image. Corruption was one of the BJP’s key poll planks. So, Trivendra Rawat is under pressure to take big steps against corruption. He has hit the ground running by suspending four sub-divisional magistrates in the Rs 240-crore National Highway (NH) scam. It was the first major strike against corruption in the state, that too, against top government officials. Never before had any chief minister taken action of this nature.

 

Declaring war on corruption, Rawat also recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the NH case. “The fight against corruption is the government’s top priority,” Trivendra Rawat said. More anti-graft measures are on the anvil. The appointment of a Lokayukta is foremost among them. After the Lokayukta Bill was tabled in the state Assembly, it was referred to a select committee of the Vidhan Sabha for suggestions. The government is expected to pass the Bill in the next session.
 
The BJP government will soon bring a foolproof Transfers Act that will govern transfers and postings of government officials. Comfortable postings in Dehradun and other  towns in the plains are valued and bribery in transfers and postings is common. “Nobody wants to go to the hills for a posting,” a top government official said. “Through this Transfers Act, there will be no political interference in such matters and no corruption.”

 
Besides corruption, Trivendra Rawat has also rolled out a road map for overall development. Speaking in the state Assembly, Trivendra Rawat said the government would give top priority to two major projects — an all-weather road in the Char Dham area and the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project. The two projects are expected to boost the economy of Garhwal, a backward region. “I have already asked all the district magistrates to complete the land acquisition process in the shortest possible time,” said Trivendra Rawat.
 
After the high court called for complete prohibition on the national highways in Char Dham area, pressure is mounting on the Trivendra Rawat government to implement the measure. Some women’s groups have launched agitations against liquor shops. But Trivendra Rawat does not favour complete prohibition. He said he wanted to control liquor sale and use by launching awareness drives. He is also taking the help of religious leaders.

 
Trivendra Rawat has decided to set up an employment and skills development department to focus on the burgeoning problem of unemployment in the state. The number of unemployed youth reached 938,000 by 2015-16 from 565,000 five years ago and is expected to touch 1.1 million by the end of 2016-17, officials said. A remarkable 230,000 unemployed people registered themselves over the period of just a year in 2015-16.
 
Another big challenge before Trivendra Rawat is the dwindling growth rate. After peaking at 8.23 per cent in 2013-14, it nosedived in the next two years to five per cent, suffering a drop of 3.23 per cent. According to latest government data this is mainly due to a sharp fall in mining sector revenues. “Instead of increasing the state’s revenues, the previous government focused mainly on the social sector due to which the growth rate declined,” said a government official. Now, with the court-ordained ban on mining, Trivendra Rawat’s problems have been compounded.

 
All previous governments have failed to stop migration from the hills. Scores of villages, especially those in border areas, are empty because residents have left. “The government must frame a new policy to save our villages, especially those in the hills. This should be the government's top priority,” said social activist Anil Joshi, who is spearheading the Gaon Bachao Andolan.
 
The chief minister has made a new start by setting up a Cabinet sub-committee headed by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj to prepare a long-term action plan for stopping the migration.
 
Trivendra Rawat also said he would take steps to stop what he called the “flight of industries” from the hills.