State Assembly discusses U’khand’s journey in past 25 years
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 3 Nov: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Subodh Uniyal today initiated the discussion on the state’s journey over the past 25 years by tabling the proposal in the post lunch sitting of the House during the special session today.
Speaking in the House during the special session marking the Silver Jubilee of the state’s formation, Uniyal traced the long history of the Uttarakhand movement, noting that its roots go back to 1952. He said that the demand for a separate hill state arose from the distinct geographical, cultural, and developmental challenges faced by the Himalayan region, and gathered strength through the decades with the participation of students, women, and social organisations. He recalled that the movement gathered pace while he was a student at Allahabad University. He added that the struggle reached its peak in the 1990s, marked by the sacrifices of agitators during the 1994 Khatima and Muzaffarnagar incidents, whose contribution, he said, would forever remain in the hearts of the people.
Uniyal recalled that Uttarakhand was formed as the 27th state of India on 9 November 2000 under the leadership of the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He said that Vajpayee not only fulfilled the long-standing aspiration of the people but also laid a strong foundation for the state’s economic progress by announcing a special industrial package, which proved instrumental in attracting investment and creating employment opportunities. Uniyal also acknowledged the significant role played by former Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari in accelerating the pace of development and industrialisation, ensuring that the benefits of the industrial package reached all regions of the state.
Uniyal said the state has made remarkable progress in sectors such as education, healthcare, tourism, renewable energy, infrastructure, and women’s empowerment. He cited the establishment of premier institutions like AIIMS Rishikesh, IIT Roorkee, and IIM Kashipur, along with the expansion of all-weather Char Dham roads, improved disaster management, and enhanced air connectivity as key milestones in the state’s journey.
The minister mentioned, that since its inception, Uttarakhand has been led by a series of chief ministers who have each contributed to its progress and named Nityanand Swami, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Narayan Dutt Tiwari, BC Khanduri, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Vijay Bahuguna, Harish Rawat, Trivendra Singh Rawat, Tirath Singh Rawat, and the present Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in this regard. Uniyal also praised the leadership of current CM Dhami reminding that he has led the state towards rapid industrialisation with proposals worth over Rs 3 lakh crores signed and proposals worth over Rs 1 lakh crore having been grounded already.
Expressing optimism about the future, Uniyal said that under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Dhami, Uttarakhand is moving with renewed confidence towards becoming a model Himalayan state guided by the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Uttarakhand’. He appealed to all members of the House to rise above party politics while listing the achievements and to contribute collectively in shaping a forward-looking roadmap for the next twenty-five years of the state’s development journey.
