Six subgroups formed to oversee implementation of suggestions

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 30

Chief Minister Harish Rawat today declared the constitution of six subgroups for overseeing the implementation of 40 suggestions emerging from the first marathon meeting of the policy planning commission.

“The first subgroup will drive the policies for the primary sector comprising rural development, water, forest, agriculture etc, while the second subgroup will look after secondary and tertiary sectors such as economy, infrastructure, urban development tourism etc. The third subgroup will suggest policies for the social sector comprising health, education etc,” said the Chief Minister while briefing mediapersons here.

The fourth subgroup would be entrusted with the task of application of science and technology for resource mobilisation, the fifth for channelling human resources and upgrading skills; and the sixth subgroup would work as an implementation committee. “The names of members who will be part of these subgroups will be announced in the coming days. The implementation committee will either be headed by Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh or the Chief Secretary,” said Rawat.

Significantly, among the 40 suggestions that came up during the meeting was one to put in place a third party evaluator to assess the output of the Rs 50,000 crore spent by the state during the last 14 years after the creation of the state. “It will help us evaluate our outcomes of the past years and also guide us in using our standing assets better,” he said.

The other suggestions included setting up of a regulatory body to oversee the standard of school education, medical and technical education; work on retaining industries and maintaining industrial climate for industries that have set up base during the advent of special industrial package; resorting to the old system of road building with emphasis on road filling; encourage pool farming and implement the APMC Act for strengthening mandis; implement Vaidyanathan Committee recommendations for cooperatives; build smart villages; make learning at ITI, IIT, colleges market oriented; encourage private investment at the lowest level; strengthen state institutes by encouraging them to become part of the national accounting system.

Of the 21 members of the panel, PN Painuli, PS Mahra, and TS Papola could not make it to the meeting. Former bureaucrat Vibha Puri Das, and Prof VP Dimri were special invitees.