Report

N.D. Tiwari Sworn-in ...

DEHRADUN : The veteran party leader, Shri Narain Dutt Tiwari, was sworn in as the Uttaranchal Chief Minister on 2 March here. Uttaranchal Governor Surjeet Singh Barnala administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Tiwari and 17 ministers, 14 of whom are of cabinet rank.

Shri Narayan Dutt Tiwari on 6 March allocated portfolios to ministers, retaining 29 departments with him including Home, Finance, Energy and Housing.

Dr. Indira Hridesh has been given the charge of PWD, Rajya Sampati, Parliamentary Affairs, Information, Science and Technology while Surendra Singh Negi is the Minister of Rural Development and Drinking Water.

Shoorveer Singh Sajwan is in charge of Irrigation, Flood Control and Minor Irrigation while Narendra Singh Bhandari is the Minister of Primary Education, Secondary Education and Languages.

Hira Singh Bisht has been allocated the portfolio of Transport, Technical Education, Labour and Employment and Training.

Health has gone to Tilak Raj Behad while Tourism, Excise and Army Welfare to Lt. Gen. Tejpal Singh Rawat, Mahendra Singh Mahara will be the Agriculture, Marketing and Watershed Management Minister.

Pritam Singh is the Panchayati Raj, Rural Engineering and Freedom Fighter Minister, Dr. Harak Singh Rawat — Revenue, Food and Civil Supplies and Census, Nav Prabhat — Forest, Environment and Urban Development.

Ram Prasad Tamta will be the Social Welfare (including Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Welfare, Minority and Women Welfare) and Mantri Prasad Naithani - Animal Husbandry, Cooperative and Milk Development Minister.

Horticulture, Khadi Gramudyog, Food Processing and Small Scale Industry has been given to Govind Singh Kunjwal.

The three state ministers, who have been attached to the Chief Minister are Amrita Rawat, Kishor Upadhyay and Sadhu Ram.

The portfolios kept by the Chief Minister are — Confidential, Personnel, vigilance, General Administration, Secretarial Administration, Home, Civil Defence, Jail, Homeguards, Law and Justice, Employment, Finance, Sales Tax, Stamp and Registration, Entertainment Tax, Civil Aviation, Protocol, Energy, Industrial Development, Establishment Development, Higher Education, Medical Education, Agricultural Education, Housing, Child Development, Cane development and Sugar Industry, Pilgrimage and Religious Work, Cultural and Elections.

... Urges New Work Culture

Rapid development through probing new vistas, taking maximum advantage of provisions in the Union budget and centrally sponsored schemes, exploring possibilities of investments by LIC, GIC and other major organisations collecting revenue from the State and a new work culture where everyone contributed his best - seems to be the tone set by the Uttaranchal Chief Minister Narain Dutt Tiwari.

Mr. Tiwari expected the vast talent in universities, retired or serving men and women of the State to come up with innovative schemes that could be pursued for the upliftment of Uttaranchal.

Mr. Tiwari said the days of ‘Ho Jaiga’ (will be done) were over. The era is of ‘Ho Raha Hai’ and ‘Ho Gaya’ (being done and completed) and I hope all will cooperate in this direction, he said.

Mr. Tiwari said he would first find out the credit-deposit ratio and then talk to various agencies like banks, LIC, GIC and foreign funding agencies like the World Bank and find out what they could do for the State’s development.

He wanted the State Forest Department to develop nurseries for herbs. Herbs cultivation in the government and private sectors could fetch a very good amount of revenue from the national and international markets, he said. The people could also explore the possibilities of making artificial diamond and earn money.

Education will have to be made technical and result-oriented so that the youth could get self-employed nearer home.

The industrial policy will stress on attracting investments by providing a conducive atmosphere to units being established here. Efforts will be made to revive the sick units like the IDPL in Rishikesh.

The Forest Research Institute (FRI) will be asked to advise on the State’s silvicultural policy and experts in various fields in the organisations in the State would be asked to come up with ideas to improve the areas of their concern.

Since tourism can become a major source of income, stress will be laid on promoting small cottage or tent colonies or wayside eating and staying places in the scenic spots that were aplenty in the State, Mr. Tiwari said.