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Khanduri Government aims at zero deficit

Staff Correspondent

Through financial discipline and optimum use of State resources

DEHRA DUN: The new Uttarakhand Government led by Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri plans to roll back the Rs. 155.71-crore annual deficit of 2006-07 to zero in the next fiscal year.

Announcing this in the State Assembly on Tuesday, the Governor, Sudarshan Aggarwal, said the zero deficit situation would be arrived at by introducing the required financial management tools and optimum use of State resources.

Efforts would be made to usher in financial discipline, cut down on wasteful expenditure and also make optimum use of Central funds received by virtue of being a special status State.

Laying down the policy the newly elected BJP Government is likely to adopt in the State over the next five years, the Governor said expert groups would be formed to suggest uplift of the economy at all levels and check migration of youth to plains in search of jobs.

As tourism has a wide scope in the hill State, new tourism circuits will be established in all districts and locals will be given special training in hospitality skills so that they could earn a decent amount nearer home.

Academic syllabi at all levels will be revamped to include need-oriented vocational skills so that students could start their own business after school or college.

The Government will accord top priority to identifying revenue generation opportunities for the people living in remote inaccessible terrains.

Agriculture, horticulture, pisciculture and floriculture will be promoted. Industries that do not harm local ecology would be identified and promoted in all the hill areas.

Ayurvedic University

An Ayurvedic University will be set up and cultivation and exploitation of quality herbs will be given priority while medicines will be made available in all Government hospitals and health centres. Steps will be taken to seek relaxation in the Forest Act of 1980 so that development works are not held up due to it.

Later talking to newspersons, Chief Minister Khanduri said he was going to tour the entire State over the coming weeks to understand local problems and seek traditional as well as expert guidance to solve the drudgery of the poor masses.

The Chief Minister sought all-round cooperation in his efforts to develop Uttarakhand into a happening place in the coming years. "The elections are over. Let us all now forget politics and re-dedicate ourselves to the task of nation building," he said.

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Khanduri Government aims at zero deficit

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