Uttarakhand: Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the State Level Urban Development Conference on Tuesday in Kashipur in the series of Silver Jubilee Year Celebrations of Uttarakhand. On this occasion, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development works worth Rs 46 crore 24 lakh and flagged off the Divyang Empowerment Skill Development Vehicle and 14 garbage collection vehicles of Municipal Corporation Kashipur.
The Chief Minister said that in the initial years of state formation, when our cities were taking shape, our civic bodies lacked basic facilities as well as necessary resources. The geographical conditions of the state and frequent natural disasters also greatly affected the pace of development works. But in this glorious journey of these 25 years, our state has faced many challenges and set new records of development, prosperity and good governance.
The Chief Minister said that the soul of a state resides in its villages, while the dreams and aspirations of our citizens take shape in the cities. With this thinking in mind, we have kept urban development at the center of our priorities. Today our cities are making continuous progress in areas like cleanliness, road system, drinking water supply and public welfare.
He said that the urban form of Uttarakhand has changed rapidly in the last 25 years. While in the year 2001 the urban population of the state was around 16 percent, today it has increased to more than 36 percent. Not only this, at the time of state formation, there were only 63 local bodies in the state and Dehradun used to be the only municipal corporation, but today 107 municipal bodies and 11 municipal corporations in the state are working continuously for the development of cities and providing better facilities to the citizens.
The Chief Minister said that at the time of formation of the state, the budget of the Urban Development Department was only Rs 55 crore, whereas today it has increased to more than Rs 1300 crore. In the last 25 years, our cities have not only provided a new impetus to the state’s economy but have also created many employment and self-employment opportunities. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has taken India to new heights of development and prosperity by following the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’. Today, through the Swachh Bharat Mission, a new culture of cleanliness has developed in lakhs of cities, towns and cities of the country. Urban infrastructure like water supply, sewerage and green spaces have been strengthened through AMRUT Yojana. He said that through Smart City Mission, efforts are being made to present an ideal model of city development by linking urban development with technology and civic amenities. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, lakhs of poor families have received their own permanent houses.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is continuously working to give a new direction to the development of Uttarakhand. While on one hand the solid waste management and sanitation system is being strengthened in every city under the Swachh Bharat Mission, on the other hand, efforts are being made to provide the benefits of various public welfare schemes like Smart City Mission, Pradhan Mantri Swanidhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Amrit Mission, Open Defecation Free Campaign and Legacy Waste Management to every citizen of Uttarakhand. He said that with the aim of providing accessible health services to the poor families of urban areas, for the first time in the state, 115 Urban Health and Wellness Centers are being established in 52 local bodies at a cost of Rs 82.5 crore. The Chief Minister said that along with the construction of sewerage treatment plant in Kashipur, a modern treatment plant is also being constructed under the Solid Waste Management Project. With the aim of creating employment opportunities in this area and strengthening the local economy, Industrial Hub Project at a cost of Rs 1100 crore and Aroma Park Project at a cost of Rs 100 crore are also being implemented. On this occasion, Rajya Sabha MP and BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt, MLA Trilok Singh Cheema, Mayor Kashipur Deepak Bali, other public representatives, Secretary Urban Development Nitish Kumar Jha, District Magistrate Nitin Singh Bhadauria and Senior Superintendent of Police Manikant Mishra were present.