DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat today unfurled the tricolour here to mark the 70th anniversary of the country's independence and promised to honour the huge mandate given by the people by wiping out graft from the state.
He also said that the government will work to achieve 100 percent literacy in the state by 2019.
Speaking at the parade ground here, Rawat said that he remembers the promise of a "double engine government" made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the people of the state five months ago.
"We will honour the faith reposed by the people in us and devote every minute at our disposal to serve them. We will spare no effort to build a corruption-free Uttarakhand. We are working to bring total transparency in governance besides cleansing the system of corruption," he said.
He, however, emphasised that eliminating corruption was a grand mission towards which all have to contribute.
"Without your co-operation and contribution this mission against corruption will never succeed," he said.
Rooting out corruption, effective implementation of development schemes, transparency, an effective public grievance redressal system and and timely disposal of files were the top priorities of the state government, Rawat said.
He said the state government is creating a system where no one gets an opportunity to indulge in corruption. To achieve this honesty will be rewarded while graft will be punished, he said.
A permanent commission is being constituted which will probe corruption cases in a time-bound manner and punish the guilty, he said. A monitoring mechanism is being put in place for review of government programmes at the chief minister's level which will help speedy disposal of files.
Besides, a centre for good governance is being set up, he said.
The public grievance redressal system is being made more effective by connecting it with the social media, he added.
Rawat began his speech by saluting those who contributed to the prolonged struggle which led to the birth of a free India.
"I salute with humility, all heroes, sung and unsung, who struggled, bore sufferings and even laid down their lives to make this country free," he said addressing a large gathering at the venue. He also remembered those who struggled for statehood to Uttarakhand in the 1990s.
Speaking about the state government's development targets for the next five years, he said these include doubling the per capita income of all the districts and also the income of the farmers, a house for every homeless person, ensuring drinking water in every settlement, reducing mother-child mortality rates, linking all villages with roads and skilling five lakh jobless youth by 2022.
"Besides we also have to take electricity to every home and achieve 100 per cent literacy by 2019, " he said.
The state government will spare no effort to achieve these development targets in a time-bound manner, he said.
He also spoke about making the state free from the clutches of corruption, alcoholism, drugs and filth besides expanding the green cover through tree plantation and water conservation.
The chief minister appealed to people to associate with these pledges.
Earlier Rawat unfurled the national flag at his official residence and the state BJP office.
Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul also unfurled the tricolour at the Raj Bhawan and appealed to the people, especially youth, to contribute towards nation building.