Monday, 06 February 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Says State government working effectively to tackle Joshimath challenge
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Union budget will benefit the poor and farmers while helping in making India a developed nation. Provisions made in the budget will also boost development in Uttarakhand especially in infrastructure, agriculture and tourism. He also said that the State government is working effectively to tackle the challenge posed by the Joshimath land subsidence disaster.
Addressing the media at the party’s State office here on Sunday, Prasad said the Union budget aims to ensure the betterment of the poor, farmers, youth and women. He said, “Special focus has been laid on agriculture development in this budget for which Rs 20 lakh crore credit is the highest provision made so far. The startup movement has been brought into agriculture to enhance the use of technology. Beginning in 2015, there are now 90,000 startups in India. We are the third in the world in startups with 100 unicorns amounting to about Rs 7,000 crore. I am hopeful that the talented youth of Uttarakhand will become active in agriculture and benefit from startups.”
Stating that Uttarakhand will also benefit from Rs 63,000 crore provision for digitalisation and other schemes in the cooperative sector, he appreciated the 100 per cent digitalisation of committees in Uttarakhand. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aim of sending millet from India across the world will benefit Uttarakhand the most because here most of the small farmers depend on the cultivation of coarse grains like Mandwa, Jhangora and Ramdana,” he added.
Prasad said that Rs 10 lakh crore has been allocated for infrastructure and Rs 2.40 lakh crore has been allocated for railways. Uttarakhand has received about Rs 5,004 crore for works like developing international level model railway stations in Haridwar and Dehradun, extending Harrawala and other stations among other projects. “Provision has been made in the budget to open 30 skill India digital centres for youth. Further, 150 medical colleges and nursing colleges will be opened in the nation out of which three to four nursing colleges will be in Uttarakhand,” he said.
Regarding the welfare schemes of the Union government, he said that provision has been made for free foodgrains for 80 crore people for the next one year. Despite various problems in the world, India has received capital investment. There were two mobile phone manufacturing factories in 2014 which have now increased to 270, making India globally second in this sphere.
Replying to a question on Uttarakhand not receiving green bonus, Prasad said that the budget has Rs 35,000 crore plan for development of hydrogen energy. Himalayan States will benefit after the plan is notified. On the issue of land subsidence disaster in Joshimath, he said that the government is working on a Himalayan policy. Joshimath is a challenge which has been taken up seriously by the State government which is working swiftly in the area. The policy of the Congress government was not to develop resources at the border as it displeased China. As a result of the Modi government’s policies, resources are being developed swiftly in the border areas also, he added.
BJP State president Mahendra Bhatt, cabinet ministers Dhan Singh Rawat, Prem Chand Agrawal and others were also present on the occasion.
