Need more funds for infrastructure devlmnt in border: Paul

Raising "concern" over the external security of Uttarakhand due to its proximity to the China and Nepal border, Governor Krishna Kant Paul today sought more funds from the Centre for infrastructural development in the border areas of the hill state.
"Though the law and order situation is satisfactory in the state, the two international borders it shares with China and Nepal are a cause for concern," Paul said at the two-day Governors' conference at Rashtrapati Bhawan presided over by President Pranab Mukherjee.
Highlighting several major issues related to the development and progress of the hill state, he said, "Development of infrastructure in the state's border areas must be given top priority".

The Border Area Development Plan and the Border Area Development Authority, funded by the Ministry of Home Affairs, need more funding as well as monitoring, the Governor said.
Paul also highlighted development achieved by the state despite severe constraints like vulnerability to natural disasters.
"In spite of severe constraints like natural disasters, the state has made steady progress since its inception, witnessing a five-fold increase in per capita income in the last one decade and an appreciable increase in literacy levels," he said.

The Governor took up issues including security, Swachh Bharat mission, skill development among youth, higher education and earthquakes.

The Governor also spoke of the efforts underway in the state to develop skills in IT, automobile repairing, computer assembling and tourism among school dropouts through Polytechnics in order to make them employable or help them earn their living through self-employment.
On the Swachh Bharat mission, the Governor said it was being implemented in the entire state.
Plans were underway to dispose of 500 MT of garbage through ultra gasification mechanism in Dehradun and Haridwar.
Special emphasis on this mission was being laid at Haridwar during the Ardh Kumbh to ensure that the sanctity and cleanliness of the Ganga was maintained.

An adequate number of sanitation staff and toilets were in place at the event.
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These initiatives include a Chancellor's Trophy of Excellence instituted with the aim of encouraging these universities to strive towards excellence, encouraging industry-academia interface, honouring the toppers at a Toppers' Conclave, and honouring researchers, teachers and students for excellence.
The Governor also spoke about the many measures being taken to make the Raj Bhawan "smart".
Energy was being saved by the use of CFL and LED lights and solarisation was also underway, he said.
He also stressed the need for a 'green bonus' being given to the state.

Regarding the state's efforts to deal with the threat of earthquake, he said that training was being given to engineers to build quake-resistant buildings.
He said a seminar was held last year at Raj Bhawan, where experts from IIT Roorkee made presentations on the Early Earthquake Warning System (EEWS) on which they were working.
He said the state government was collaborating with IIT-Roorkee and other institutions to understand the nature of seismic threat in the region.
The state government was planning to set up an automated system for dissemination of early warnings of earthquakes.