Tuesday, 14 February 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Cabinet minister in-charge of Haridwar district, Satpal Maharaj reiterated that there should be an international airport in Haridwar. This will provide employment to thousands of people while enabling people from across the world to visit the pilgrimage city of Haridwar. The minister said this while speaking at one of the various events he attended at Bhagwanpur and Bahadrabad in Haridwar on Monday. He also inaugurated and unveiled the foundation stones for various development works in these areas on the occasion. He inaugurated various works and unveiled the foundation stones for works of Irrigation department, Public Works Department and the Panchayati Raj department amounting to Rs 30.83 crore in Bhagwanpur and Bahadrabad.
While hearing public grievances in ‘Sarkar Janata Ke Dwar’ programme, when the minister was told about the Iqbal sugar mill not paying sugar cane farmers, he directed officials to take action against the mill. He had a telephonic conversation with the sugar cane minister Saurabh Bahuguna and requested that the pending dues of the sugar cane farmers should be cleared soon. When Maharaj sought the version of the district land consolidation officer in a matter concerning him, the official was found to be absent, following which the minister directed that the official be transferred immediately, while the chief development officer also directed that one day’s salary of the official should be deducted.
Informing the locals about the various decisions and steps taken by the State government, the minister said that a decision had been taken to provide Rs 10,000 each as immediate assistance from the disaster fund to the Gram Pradhans. Further, in the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23, 500 Panchayat buildings were built while approval has been received for repair of 150 Panchayat buildings. The State government is making efforts to increase the income of the Panchayats. Regarding the two-child norm, he clarified that all the eligible persons who had more than two children before July 25, 2019 can contest in the three-tier Panchayat elections.
