Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

‘Pending cases between UP & U’khand to be resolved by next month’

ACHIEVEMEN­T CM gave a pat on his back for a number of antigraft measures

- Deep Joshi n letters@hindustant­imes.com

DEHRADUN: Most of the cases of disputed assets between Uttarakhan­d and Uttar Pradesh that had been lingering for the past 17 years will be resolved by next month, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announced here on Sunday.

Speaking at a function held here to mark the completion of 100 days of the BJP government in Uttarakhan­d, he said both sides have already resolved several cases relating to disputed assets.

“For instance, we will soon get the ownership of some 33 canals,” Rawat said, adding that the Uttar Pradesh government had also agreed on the constructi­on of Jamrani dam project in Haldwani.

“Once this project is completed the water requiremen­t of the entire Bhabhar and Terai areas in Kumaon will be met,” he said. “Similarly, the water requiremen­t of several areas in Uttar Pradesh would also be met.”

Rawat described the approval of a CBI probe into the ₹300 crore NH-74 land scam as the biggest achievemen­t of his 100-day old government. “I recommende­d the CBI inquiry within five days of taking over as the chief minister,” he said. Rawat claimed that the CBI probe into “such a massive land fraud is a clear proof that the BJP government is sincere about implementi­ng its zero tolerance for corruption”.

“It was one of the key promises we made to the people during the assembly elections and they reposed trust in us by giving our party the unpreceden­ted mandate,” he said while sharing a number of anti-graft measures taken by his government during its first 100 days in office. Rawat said his government also discovered a massive scam involving the previous Congress government in the appointmen­ts of block developmen­t officers. “We immediatel­y cancelled those appointmen­ts and have issued an order whereby all appointmen­ts relating to government jobs would be made in a transparen­t manner,” he said.

Rawat announced that his government succeeded in blocking a number of leakages reported under the previous Congress government relating to the revenue generated through mining.

“In Haridwar alone, we collected a fine of ₹25 crore from illegal mining alone within 21 days since we came to power,” he said.

“Conversely, the revenue of just ₹13 crore was recorded in a year from that district under the previous Congress government.”

Rawat said his government had collected excise revenue to the tune of ₹2.70 crore from in the past 100 days. On the infrastruc­ture side, he said the Dehradun Rishikesh-Haridwar Metro rail project would be completed within the next five years.

“That will divert a massive traffic load from that busy route that links Uttarakhan­d with the national capital,” said the chief minister. He said Uttarakhan­d would also be benefited by the Rookree-Deoband-Mujaffarna­gar rail project on which an agreement was recently reached between his government and the Centre.

In Haridwar alone, we collected a fine of ₹25 crore from those involved in illegal mining alone within 21 days after we came to power TRIVENDRA SINGH RAWAT, chief minister

 ?? PTI PHOTO ?? Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat (right) during a cleanlines­s drive in Dehradun on Sunday.
PTI PHOTO Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat (right) during a cleanlines­s drive in Dehradun on Sunday.

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