DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Assembly’s two-day session began on Tuesday at Bhararisain in Gairsain, the state’s summer capital, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and legislators paying tribute to former chief minister B.C. Khanduri.
Dhami moved a proposal to present a supplementary budget of more than Rs 7,844.18 crore. The session is scheduled to continue through Wednesday.
Legislators recalled Khanduri’s public service and personal approach to public outreach. Gangolihat BJP MLA Fakir Ram Tamta recalled how Khanduri, during a visit to a resident’s home where no chair was available, sat on the only cot to enquire about the family’s well-being.
Vikasnagar BJP MLA Munna Singh Chauhan praised Khanduri’s efforts to make competitive examinations more transparent, saying he had allowed candidates to take home carbon copies of their answer sheets to verify their responses.
BJP MLA Arvind Pandey said Khanduri linked efforts to curb gun culture in the Terai with employment opportunities for young people. Recalling a meeting after his election as an MLA, Pandey said Khanduri had asked him to help address the problem. “Police action alone would not be enough,” he said Khanduri believed, stressing the need for jobs and opportunities for young people to become self-reliant.
Pandey said Khanduri’s government promoted industrial development and employment in areas such as Kashipur and Bajpur between 2007 and 2012. He also praised the former chief minister’s integrity and transparent functioning.
The supplementary budget proposal includes Rs 122 crore for the Gairsain water-supply dam project, Rs 40 crore for a new state data centre and Rs 30 crore for the Haridwar-Ganga Corridor project. It also allocates Rs 100 crore for the Ayushman scheme, Rs 125 crore for the Golden Card and Rs 93 crore for welfare pensions. Another Rs 270 crore has been earmarked for power infrastructure at the Khurpia Farm project and Rs 160 crore for medical and nursing colleges in Pithoragarh and Rudrapur.
Meanwhile, the first day of the session saw protests by the Congress, the state pradhan organisation and the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) against the government. Police stopped demonstrators at barricades, leading to sit-in protests.
At the Kalimati barrier, Congress workers carried traditional Uttarakhand cooking vessels and raised slogans against the BJP government. Some protesters wore clothing made from Congress flags, while Digambar Singh, a resident of Pabau, and others placed traditional utensils on their heads.
UKD protesters broke through barricades at Diwalikhal and reached the Assembly’s main gate as proceedings continued inside.