The Governor Baby Rani Maurya and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat have extended their greetings to the people of the State on the 20th foundation day of Uttarakhand State. The Raj Bhawan will remain open for the public from 11 AM to 1 PM and 6:30 PM to 8 PM on the State Foundation Day on Saturday.
In her message on the eve of the occasion, Maurya paid tribute to the martyrs and statehood activists along with the soldiers who attained martyrdom while defending the country. She said that despite its small size, Uttarakhand is capable of contributing towards the environment and economy of the nation. The state has achieved much but many challenges still remain. Benefit of economic growth rate and per capita income should reach the poor, weaker sections and farmers of the State. Organic farming, production of unseasonal fruits and vegetables are means of livelihood for rural areas. Many youngsters have left their jobs in the cities and came back to their villages where they are now earning well through farming. She pointed out that institutional delivery has grown up to 71 per cent from 50 per cent but this needs to be improved further.
In his message to the public, Chief Minister Rawat said that Uttarakhand is playing a vital role in the making of new India. Better performance in various sectors during the past two and half years has been appreciated at the national level. Recently, in its innovation index 2019, the NITI Aayog had placed Uttarakhand among the top three in the category of North East and Hill States. In the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, Udham Singh Nagar was chosen among the best 10 districts of the nation. The State also received seven awards for its performance in Swachchh Bharat Mission- Gramin.
The State has also received national awards in foodgrain production, river rejuvenation, development and conservation. Rawat said that the State wants to open big institutions with the assistance of the Union Government. Approval has been granted for establishing permanent campus of NIT at Sumadi. Foundations have also been laid for a coast guard recruitment centre in Dehradun and national law university at Ranipokhri. There is no lack of possibilities in Uttarakhand. Much has been done and much more needs to be done for taking the benefit of development to remote areas.
The Government is working hard to achieve this. He exhorted the people to pledge their full contribution towards achieving integrated development in the State.
