Relax height criterion for recruiting border village youths:

Chief Minister Harish Rawat today expressed concern over migration of youth from the border villages of Uttarakhand in search of livelihood and directed the police department to relax the minimum height criterion for appointing local people in the force.
The minimum height criterion in case of youths from border villages should be relaxed and 10 per cent appointments in homeguards should be made from natural calamity-hit areas of the state, he said at a review meeting of the Home Department here.
Rawat had written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday seeking formulation of a policy for appointment of one member from every family dependent on agriculture in hilly areas in para-military forces.

He also called for steps to strengthen communication and transportation systems in border areas of the state and a bonus of 40 per cent on local products, which, he said, will help stop migration of youth in search of livelihood.
The Rawat government has been trying to create employment opportunities for youths in remote border areas of the state to check their migration to other states.
Noting that residents of remote border villages, especially the youth, play an important role in alerting the Army and ITBP outposts in case of a dubious movement of troops across the border, Rawat said their continued migration in the absence of basic facilities is a cause for concern and it must be stopped.