I-Day fervour doubled due to J&K decision: Rawat

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Thursday said the Independence Day fervour across the country has doubled this year as the Centre's "momentous" decision to scrap provisions of Article 370 started a new era of development in Jammu and Kashmir.

Unfurling the Tricolour at the Parade Ground here to mark the 73rd Independence Day, Rawat congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their "historic" move on Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and described the constitutional provision as a "hindrance" to development.

The chief minister said the scrapping of the special status would help its residents "reap" the benefits of central schemes, adding that it marked the dawn of a "new era of development" in Jammu and Kashmir.

A number of flag-hoisting ceremonies were held here as part of the Independence Day celebrations, with the chief minister unfurling the Tricolour at his official residence and at the Bharatiya Janata Party office. Governor Baby Rani Maurya also hoisted the national flag at the Raj Bhawan.

Rawat announced that appointments to vacant government posts in Uttarakhand would be made in a phased manner. He said a task force headed by a cabinet minister would be constituted soon to monitor the appointments to such posts.

To encourage entrepreneurship among women, Rawat said the 'Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Protsahan Yojana' would be launched soon, in which kiosks would be allotted to 5,100 women to run their businesses at prominent tourist spots like Mussoorie, Nainital, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Even if four women get employment at each of these kiosks on an average, over 20,000 women will get jobs annually under the scheme, the chief minister said.

The state government is also planning to bring in a legislation to ensure better care of the elderly, he said.

Rawat said zero tolerance to corruption, change in work culture and employment generation were his government's highest priorities.

The chief minister asserted that corruption in any form would not be tolerated, adding that the state government would introduce a stringent anti-corruption law soon. "Officials guilty of corrupt practices and being casual towards their duties will be given compulsory retirement," he said.

"A CM dashboard has been set up to ensure outcome-based delivery by the government departments, besides launching a CM helpline number (1905) so that people don't have to run from pillar to post for the redressal of their complaints," Rawat said.

The chief minister also highlighted steps taken by his government towards employment generation through skill development, boosting investments, tourism, water conservation, environment protection, besides the road, rail and air connectivity.

Rawat termed the ban on instant triple talaq a "major" step towards the "empowerment" of Muslim women, who he said had been set free from "exploitation and suffering".

He noted that a "new India" is in the making by winning the trust of all sections of society and taking development to all, adding that the country would witness history being scripted on September 6 when Chandrayan 2 would land on the moon.