Prepare action plan for 10 years, says Alva

For the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttarakhand, Governor Margaret Alva today came out with a new motto for sustainable economic growth — follow Gujarat’s Modi model and preparing an action plan for the next 10 years.

“Gujarat has done very well in attracting new investments and some other areas. I asked the Chief Minister (Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank) why can’t he follow the Modi model instead of crying for the industrial package,” said Alva, who is taking keen interest in the development process of Uttarakhand.

Like Gujarat, the state can also come up with its own new policy to attract investments, she said. With the main focus on investments, infrastructure and employment, Alva also called for a 10-year plan of action so as to give further fillip to the development and to meet the challenge of an inclusive growth in the hill state. “In a recent meeting with the Chief Minister, I suggested the government must identify the challenges of future and accordingly prepare an action plan for the next 10 years,” she said.

When such a plan is being chalked out, the government must focus on various challenges like electricity generation and migration. In this regard, she stressed on the need to boost infrastructure development, investments, employment creation and revive the agriculture, floriculture and horticulture sectors of the state.

Alva said she has convened a meeting of think-tank comprising top intellectuals and experts from various fields and institutes like Pantnagar Agriculture University in the Raj Bhavan here after the Holi festival to discuss the future strategies for development in the state.

She also said she has already held talks with new and renewable energy minister Farooq Abdullah for the revival of 100 watermills in the state. “This will be a model project under which we will revive at least 100 watermills and produce electricity through them,” she said.