Uttaranchal CM exudes confidence

By C. K. Chandramohan

DEHRA DUN, MAY 7. The Uttaranchal Chief Minister, Mr. Nityanand Swami, has deftly warded off all moves to dethrone him. The Swami government, as well as the new State, complete six months of existence on Tuesday (May 8) amid strong rumours that a change of guard was in the offing. The Chief Minister dismisses the talk as mere gossip being floated by the Opposition which, he says, has nothing else in it's arsenal.

Exuding confidence, the Chief Minister, during an exclusive interview, expressed the hope that Uttaranchal will be known as an area of excellence in information technology and he would do his best to put the State on the fast track.

He revealed that he had sent five names through the Home Ministry for formation of the delimitation commission by the Election Commission several months back. ``Now it is upto the Election Commission to order elections,'' he said adding that the BJP was ready for elections.

The issue hangs fire with the Opposition accusing the BJP of trying to rule the State indefinitely by delaying the delimitation process which will lead to conversion of the present Assembly seats into 70. Matters worsened after a Cabinet Minister, Mr. Mohan Singh Gaonwasi, said at a public meeting last week that the Swami Government would rule for five years.

According to the Uttaranchal Bill, the delimitation process has to be completed at the earliest to pave way for a proper Assembly. Some persons are reportedly preparing to move the Uttaranchal High Court and the Apex Court through a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking early elections.

Mr. Swami hopes to lead the BJP to a landslide victory as he believes that the Congress (I) and Samajwadi Party are a spent force and unlikely to recoup in the near future. The Congress does not enjoy much clout among the people who accuse it of not having taken a stand in favour of the hill State during the Uttarakhand agitation.

Regarding another controversy, Mr. Swami said the bureaucracy was fully under the elected representatives and not vice versa. ``The total compliance of my order to remove blue beacons and hooters from the vehicles used by the officials is enough to prove who is riding the horse,'' he asserted.

Trying to earn a name in history as an architect of modern Uttaranchal, Mr. Swami said the information technology institute for scheduled castes and other underprivileged classes to be set up soon in Dehra Dun will be a landmark in the development of the deprived.

On the agriculture front, Mr. Swami said the State government had procured 55,000 metric tonnes of paddy as against a target of just 5000 mt. He had asked the G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology to restructure itself as the backbone of all agricultural, horticultural, herbal and animal husbandry activity compatible to various regions.

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Section  : Other States
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