“Our goals are big and the road to them is difficult”- Rawat on I-Day speech

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat led the hill state in celebrating the 70th Independence Day on Monday. He hoisted the national flag at the Parade Ground in the state capital and felicitated freedom fighters.

In his address, Rawat paid homage to the freedom fighters who laid down their lives for a free India. He also detailed the achievements of the hill state under Congress rule and said it had now become one of the front-ranking states of India.

Addressing people after unfurling the tricolor at the Parade Ground to mark the country’s 70th Independence Day, Rawat said, “Our goals are big and the road to them is difficult.

“But I have faith in the people of the state and their tremendous will power which helped them overcome even the effects of an unprecedented natural calamity like the one in 2013.”

He said he was confident that the resolve which helped people of Uttarakhand deal with the aftermath of 2013 calamity will also drive them to the big development targets set by his government including an annual growth rate of 18 per cent, howsoever difficult they might be. We are proud that Uttarakhand today is one of the fastest developing states in the country.

Guest Teachers skip Independence day celebrations; to stage mass protests from Aug 17 onwards

Over 6,200 unemployed guest teachers in Uttarakhand are gearing up for a massive show of strength to register their agitation following the high court order that quashed all the notifications issued by the government on their appointment. The provision of hiring guest teachers will be only allowed in the state as a makeshift option till March 31, 2017.

The teachers are now preparing to launch a strike near Parade Ground here from August 17.