Book of Integration Council New - Ministry of Home Affairs

The need for the removal of regional disparities was well recognized by
the leaders of independent India. The Constitution of India, has made it
mandatory for the government at the Centre, to appoint a Finance Commission
once at least in every five years. The Finance Commission examines the problems
arising out of the gaps between the needs for expenditure and the availability
of revenue and other such matters. Accordingly, the balanced regional
development has become the declared goal of the Central Government and as
also of the Planing Commission and the Finance Commission. This is the high
time to examine the extent of success achieved in this regard.
Substantial regional imbalances and disparity in terms of level of
development exist among the districts of Uttarakhand. These disparities can be
noticed in the availability of infrastructural facilities, demographic patterns and
land holding pattern of the individuals, irrigation facility and level of urbanization,
large scale migrations trends in the State. I avail this opportunity to request the
Central Government to extend the time limit of Industrial concessions for
Uttarakhand till 2013.
Private investments have a limited role to play in structural by readjustments.
Therefore Central Government has to come forward to channelize investments
towards poor and geographically inaccesible states. Setting up of apex
educational institutions, industries and growth oriented service sectors in the
poorer regions should be considered. Certain types of jobs may be offered to
the local people, even if it requires enactment of specific legislation to be
made. Indicators of allocation of Central Funds to such states may be changed,
at least for such time, as may bring them to a level where from they can
sustain their own economic development.
More than 65% of my State is covered by forests. We have very little
irrigated and fertile agricultural land. We are not able to utilize and exploit our
forest resources due to environmental and ecological reasons and restrictions.
We have mineral resources but we can not take up its exploraton due to highly
sensitive and fragile eco-system. States having less agriculture area but substantial
forest cover need to be compensated accordingly. State specific subsidies should
be introduced. Forest conservation Act needs to be amended to ensure greater
delegation of power to the State Governments for transfer of reserve forest and
other forest areas from forest to non-forest use. Civil Soyam land must as a rule
be declared to be the land under the management and control of the State
Government. Greater share of power to the State Governments from the power
projects located within its georaphical territories is necessary to boost the
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