Dehradun: Claiming that the circumstances in which Uttarakhand was given special category status still persist, Chief Minister Harish Rawat today asked the Centre to maintain the funding pattern for externally aided projects in the state in the ratio of 90:10. Making the request at a meeting with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Rawat said with 65 per cent of its land covered with forests,
Uttarakhand is in a disadvantageous position as it cannot realise its full potential in terms of revenue generation from hydropower and tourism sectors due to restrictions imposed by forest law. Uttarakhand has the potential to generate 30,000 MW of hydel power but projects stalled due to their potential threat to environment is causing a loss of Rs 1,700 crore per annum to the state, Rawat said.
Being a border state, its potential in the tourism sector too cannot be tapped fully, an official release said quoting Rawat. Rawat drew Jaitley's attention to the recommendations of the BK Chaturvedi committee which had recommended allocation of 2 per cent of the total budgetary support to the eleven Himalayan states.
Claiming that the circumstances in which Uttarakhand was given special category status still persist, Rawat urged the Union minister to maintain the funding pattern for externally aided projects in the state in the ratio of 90:10 (Centre:State) - a privilege enjoyed by the state as a special category state. Noting that change in funding pattern had caused a loss of Rs 1,500 crore to the state, Rawat said the ratio should be restored in case of externally aided projects. PTI
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