Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi today highlighted steps taken by the state government towards promotion of education, empowerment of women and welfare of minorities.
In his address to the state Assembly on the opening day of the budget session, the Governor said the state government deserved praise for what it had done for women's empowerment, up-gradation of educational facilities, tourism promotion and minority welfare.
The setting up of women nurseries across the state was a major step towards making women self-reliant, he said.
The state government has given its nod to establishment of four private universities in the state, which will go a long way in turning the state into an education hub, Qureshi said .
The state government has also decided to set up a number of polytechnic institutes to provide the youth with job oriented education, he said.
With help from the Centre, the state government has also decided to run 42 ITIs on PPP mode, he said.
The Governor said it was due to the state government's efficient planning and relentless efforts, that an annual plan of Rs 8200 crore was sanctioned for the year 2012-2013 for Uttarakhand, which was 400 crore more than the previous year.
To make medical facilities available to people in remote areas of the state, mobile vans equipped with modern facilities and doctors were being operated, he said.
The nod to Jankichatti-Yamunotri and Thuligad-Purnagiri ropeway projects are bound to give a major boost to tourism in the state, Qureshi added.
