Uttarakhand: CS gave approval for the construction of 32 residential buildings for judicial personnel in Dehradun…

To solve the problem of excessive silt deposition in reservoirs like Baur, Haripura, Tumaria, Nanak Sagar of Uttarakhand and to promote tourism activities and fisheries in these reservoirs, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi has directed to formulate a policy to make desilting of reservoirs royalty free. In this regard, the Chief Secretary has directed the Irrigation Department to obtain no objection from all the concerned departments. She has directed that if the silt of Baur and Haripura reservoirs is not being used commercially by the department, then work should be started immediately to formulate a policy to make silt removal of these reservoirs royalty free. In this regard, the Chief Secretary has given 15 days’ time to the Irrigation Department and directed to conduct a joint inspection with the Forest Department. She said that the reservoirs are more than fifty years old. In such a situation, the capacity of the reservoirs is continuously decreasing. Due to excessive silt in the reservoirs, desilting is necessary to solve challenges like lack of water for irrigation and floods for farmers in future, to promote tourism activities and fisheries in reservoirs.

In the meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee in the Secretariat, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi gave financial approval for the construction of concrete road from Baba Dal Temple in Gadarpur of Udham Singh Nagar to Baur reservoir from Gularbhoj-Koolha Tilpuri forest barrier through the Irrigation Department. Baur and Haripura reservoirs are located in Gadarpur / Bajpur development block of Udham Singh Nagar district. The length of these dams is 9.500 km and 7.900 km respectively and the water holding capacity is 3650 and 1000 m. cubic feet. Water is stored in the reservoirs from the rainy season floods, water is provided to the farmers for irrigation throughout the year in these reservoirs. This area is also to be developed as a tourism hub by the Uttarakhand government. Baur-Haripura reservoir has also been included in the ambitious scheme of Uttarakhand Government 13 District 13 Tourist Places. To promote tourism activities in these reservoirs, the Tourism Department has been organizing boating and other water sports for tourists for the past few years, in which a large number of tourists keep coming. Due to the access roads of the said reservoirs being unpaved, there are extreme difficulties in the smooth movement of tourists, for which this scheme has been made. The scheme is being funded under Missing Link Funding.

In today’s Expenditure Finance Committee, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi also approved the construction of 32 residential buildings to be built for judicial personnel in Mohkampur Dehradun. She directed that solar panels should be mandatorily arranged in the said residential buildings and work should be done on the concept of green building.

Chief Secretary Radha Raturi has directed for a comprehensive study for the strengthening of animal breeding farm Kalsi in Dehradun. Animal breeding farm is established in Kalsi district Dehradun and at present it has been designated as the Centre of Excellence on Indigenous Breeds in the country by the Government of India. Breed improvement program is being conducted at this farm through embryo transplantation technique. Strengthening of the farm is proposed under the centrally funded National Gokul Mission Scheme. The purpose of strengthening biosecurity on the farm is to protect the livestock at the institution from infectious diseases. Work is to be done to provide hands-on training to the livestock farmers by establishing demonstration units at the training center established in the farm and better facilities will be provided to the livestock farmers who come for training. The scheme is 100 percent funded under the National Gokul Mission Scheme of the Government of India.

Chief Secretary Radha Raturi has also given in-principle approval for the work of strengthening the heifer rearing farm at Pashulok Rishikesh. The work of setting up the Heifer Rearing Farm at Pashulok Rishikesh was done in the year 2019 under the RIDF scheme and the aim is to provide crossbred cows to the cattle farmers of the state at a reasonable price from the farm. At present, fodder for animals is produced on 37.9 acres of land available on the project and under the scheme, additional fodder and silage is to be produced on 38.7 acres of land so that the livestock managed on the project can get sufficient fodder. Animals of high genetic quality will be made available to the cattle farmers of the state from the project. The scheme is 100 percent funded under the National Gokul Mission Scheme of the Government of India.