Book of Integration Council New - Ministry of Home Affairs

economy of such states. Substantial funds flow is therefore required to bridge
the regional imbalances created due to the paucity of physical infrastructure,
non availability of higher centres of excellence, poor health and medical care,
skewed land holding patterns and fewer facilities of gainful employment.
Our state has been doing pioneering work in promoting the general well
being of the minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Atrocities
against the vulnerable sections of society, though minimum, attract the urgent
attention of the state. We have made special efforts to fill up the quota of
government jobs earmarked for SCs and STs. We have provided greater resources
for teaching Urdu, for modernizing Madarsa Education and for providing
scholarships to meritorious students from minority communities and upgradation
of their skills through technical trainings. A separate financial institution has been
set up for fulfilling the credit needs of the minority communities. Special projects
have been undertaken for slum improvements.
I submit that the Government of India has sanctioned North East Industrial
Promotion Policy (NEIPP) for North Eastern States in 2007. The condition in
hill regions of the state is comparable to North East in terms of accessibility,
lack of economic activities and employment opportunities. The package
sanctioned under NEIPP should also be extended to the hill areas of the state of
Uttarakhand in order to generate employment oppotunities locally. This will help
to reduce the sharp regional imbalances that are already being experienced here.
Our experience with the excise exemption package given by Central Government
during 2003, so far is that, despite this policy, 10 hill districts out of 13 are still
almost "zero" industry districts. Therefore, the State needs more assistance and
a longer duration of the Industrial Package for the State to bring up the hill
districts at per with the plain districts. I have been repeatedly requesting the
Hon'ble Prime Minister, Hon'ble Finance Minister and Hon'ble Industries Minister
to extend the period of the Industrial Package to 2013, as announced in 2003.
There has been no response so far. I requrest this be accepted.
Uttarakhand is known to the world for the valour and gallantry of its
soldiers in all the three wings of the India Armed Forces. The Government of
Uttarakhand, being sensitive to their needs, has undertaken a number of measures
to ameliorate the conditions of ex-servicemen. A state owned corporation has
been set up to provide gainful employment to all the willing exservicemen.
Institutional mechanism have been set up to redress their grievance on a day-today
basis. We are paying the highest honoraia in the country to the winners of
gallantry awards. We have large tracts of vaccant forest lands in the state.
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