Uttarakhand incurs loss worth billions

DEHRADUN : Contrary to the official claims by both states, Uttarakhand failed to get most of its assets and liabilities worth billions of rupees even 17 years after it was carved out from Uttar Pradesh. Political leaders and bureaucrats from both the states share the blame for the continued impasse, according to Uttarakhand officials.

“Both the sides are responsible for the ongoing stalemate… But our political leadership, particularly our bureaucrats, share more blame,” said a senior official, who was not authorised to speak to the media.

“Most these officials don’t pursue with their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh the issues relating to the assets and liabilities after they are discussed in meetings between both sides.” Officially, the government strongly denied the allegations.

Poor public relations on the part of Uttarakhand bureaucracy, the official cited as another reason behind the continued stalemate. “Our officials think their duty is over once they have participated in meetings held between both sides to discuss the division of assets and liabilities,” a secretary-level official said, adding that they “don’t bother to keep a personal touch” with their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh.

According to him, things can work if such a rapport is maintained. Officials agree that the

› Our officials think their duty is over once they have participated in meetings held between both sides to discuss the division of assets and liabilities

A SECRETARY-LEVEL OFFICIAL OF UTTARAKHAND

reluctance on the part of the UP officials had also been one of the main reasons behind the critical issue of the division of assets and liabilities hanging fire for the past 17 years. According to them, the UP officials’ intransigence was also in evidence during the chief secretary-level talks held between both sides twice this year. The first such meeting was held on April 7 followed by another meeting between Uttarakhand chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh and his UP counterpart in Lucknow on June 28.

Referring to the CS-level talks held on April 7, a secretary-level official said that in most cases the minutes of that meeting issued by the UP government were different from what had actually been agreed upon between both sides.

“We were shocked to see the copy of the minutes issued by the UP government, which hardly tallied with the minutes of the meeting issued by us,” he said referring to the Uttarakhand government. The same “also goes” for the minutes of the chief secretary-level meeting held in Lucknow on June 28.

“The minutes of the issues discussed in that meeting, which were issued by the UP government were shockingly different from the minutes issued by us,” said the official, who was privy to that meeting.

“The minutes issued by us were missing from those issued by them despite the fact that they were the minutes of the same meeting.” That, he said, “amply explains for the reasons behind the contentious issue of the assets’ distribution hanging fire” after Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh 17 years ago.

No wonder, the stalemate continues despite chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and his UP counterpart Yogi Adityanath having discussed the long pending issue of the assets and liabilities. “They have held meetings a couple of times but the solution to the touchy issue continues to elude Uttarakhand,” the official said, adding the resourcecrunched hill state “is paying a heavy price” for that.

“It (UP) owes us the liabilities worth several crores of rupees. If the assets it owes us are also taken into account, the losses we are incurring will run into billions of rupees,” the official said.

Giving details he said Uttar Pradesh, for instance, was yet to abdicate its claim over the 700 acres of land in Banbasa area.

“We are also incurring huge losses because UP has not renounced its claim over the crucial assets like hydropower projects, artificial reservoirs etc. and also liabilities in terms of several hundred crores of rupees and the human resource etc.”

Principal secretary, reorganisation, Anand Vardhan denied the allegation that officials were not doing their bit to break the impasse. “All officials heading the concerning departments are pursuing issues relating to the assets and liabilities with their counterparts in UP,” he said.