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Khanduri to prove his majority within one week

Staff Correspondent

Do not expect a miracle from me, says the Chief Minister

DEHRA DUN: The new Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, set out his agenda on Friday to restore a people-oriented work culture in the bureaucracy, cut down wasteful expenditure and move ahead with all possible works that would build up the revenue generating capacity of the people and judicious tapping of natural resources for the benefit of the State.

The Cabinet, presently having two members besides him, will be expanded after the floor test in the Assembly.

At a separate function, the senior most legislator, Harbans Kapoor, was sworn in as Pro-tem Speaker.

Addressing his maiden press conference as Chief Minister, Gen. Khanduri said his Government faced a Herculean task as the people had very high expectations. "Do not expect a miracle from me. We will set the house in order and it is for every citizen to work hard and create a niche for himself or herself in what would be a prosperous State in times to come," he said.

Describing corruption as a cancer gripping some who were in positions of power, the Chief Minister wanted all of them to reform themselves and adapt to the new work culture where the interests of the poorest were supreme.

The education system would have sufficient vocational inputs to make the children self-reliant, he said, adding, "Stress will be laid on water harvesting so that the drudgery of women who trek several kilometres to fetch drinking water every day could be reduced."

"The Government," he said, "will lay emphasis on developing a good basic infrastructure in the form of education, health, roads, power and drinking water facilities."

Although inflation was caused by the policies of the Centre, he said, the State would try to minimize the brunt borne by the people by strengthening the public distribution system, checking hoarding and under-weighing by the profiteers.

PTI adds:

Gen. Khanduri said he would prove his majority in the State Assembly within one week, ahead of the deadline set by the Governor, and his Council of his Ministers would be expanded thereafter.

Governor Sudarshan Agarwal had asked Gen. Khanduri while inviting him to form the Government to prove his majority in the House by March 20.

Reduces his convoy

Suggesting fiscal prudence to help put the small State's economy back on track, the Chief Minister drastically reduced the size of his convoy from seven to two vehicles and also ordered removal of hooter.

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