Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, while reviewing the Rural Development Department at the Secretariat on Friday, directed that the plan to take Uttarakhand’s brand ‘House of Himalayas’ to the global level should be fully implemented by September. Special attention should be paid to the quality, packaging and marketing of the products. He said that like the Rural Business Incubator Centers built in Hawalbagh and Kotdwar, Rural Business Incubator Centers should be set up soon in all the districts of the state. These will play an important role in promoting youth and self-help groups in the field of self-employment. The Chief Minister said that the soul of India resides in the villages, so special attention should be paid that the names of the schemes being made for the rural areas in the state should be simple and effective.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to identify 15 important schemes related to the public, and also make arrangements for district-wise ranking for the successful implementation of the schemes. The Chief Minister directed the Secretary Rural Development to send senior officials of the department to the villages from time to time for the successful implementation of the schemes. The Secretary should also visit some villages. Block level officers should be sent to the meetings of Gram Sabhas. Special attention should be paid to the construction and maintenance of Amrit Sarovars. Tree plantation should also be done on the banks of Amrit Sarovars.
During the review of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, he directed the officials to pay special attention to the quality and timeliness in the construction of roads. Strict action will be taken against the concerned officials for negligence in the quality of works. The Chief Minister said that he himself will conduct surprise inspection of the construction works. During the review of the Rural Construction Department, the Chief Minister directed that the construction work should be expedited to connect the villages with roads under the ‘Mukhyamantri Gram Sampark Yojana’. Special attention should be paid to road connectivity for the development of villages.
It was informed in the meeting that the state ranks first in the approval of targets to the training institutes under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Rural and Deendayal Upadhyaya Rural Skill Scheme, work commencement as per target and training as per target. As a result of excellent performance in the N.R.L.M. scheme, the state has been receiving bonus continuously in the last two years. A target of sales of 25 crores has been set in the next 3 years through ‘House of Himalayas’. Under the Lakhpati Didi Yojana, 93 thousand women have become Lakhpati Didis in the state so far. A target has been set to make 2.50 lakh women Lakhpatis by 2026. 66,596 houses have been built in the state under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin. 66,459 groups have been formed in the state under NRLM. In which 5.06 lakh families are getting benefits. It was informed in the meeting that 1845 settlements have been connected as against 1864 settlements approved so far under PMGSY. A population of about 22 lakhs has benefited from these settlements.