Shortest-ever tenure as CM sees midnight meeting, vital decisions

DEHRADUN: Harish Rawat’s second stint as Uttarakhand chief minister barely lasted 24 hours, the shortest in India’s history. But during the period, he held two cabinet meetings and took 11 populist decisions indicating that he could be getting ready for polls.

Rawat was reinstated as CM on Thursday after the Uttarakhand high court struck down President’s rule in the state. On Friday, the Supreme Court stayed the high court order to put the hill state under central rule again.

Before Rawat, Jagdambika Pal held the record for the shortest stint when he served as UP CM for two days in February 1998.

As political uncertainty returned to Uttarakhand – which has witnessed turmoil since March 18 – Rawat’s hurried decisions too came under a cloud.

Governor KK Paul, who as head of the state under central rule can revoke the decisions, has already questioned Rawat’s hurry. The BJP said they have no legal validity.

The Rawat cabinet gave its nod to several proposals, including the re-appointment of more than 6,000 temporary teachers on a monthly stipend of ` 15,000. Before the meeting, Rawat sat on a token strike in support of the teachers, whose appointments were revoked by the governor.

Besides, he hiked all social pensions by ` 200, a move that will benefit seven lakh people. Officials said it will put an additional burden of ` 13.5 crores on the exchequer.

The cabinet also brought in two ordinances on land consolidation and regularisation of slums, also likely to benefit a large number of people. The Rawat government had failed to pass the two bills after nine Congress MLAs sided with the BJP during the assembly’s budget session in March.

Officials said the cabinet cleared ` 5 crore each for all 13 districts, set up a committee for revision of circle rates of land and decided all state-run colleges will function in morning and evening shifts.