Harish Rawat seeks Centre's help to clear farmers' dues

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Friday asked the Centre to extend adequate help to the state government to help clear the dues of sugarcane growers saying that showing regard to farmers was tantamount to honouring the country's Independence.

Unfurling the national tricolour at the Parade Ground to mark Independence Day, the Chief Minister said, "We are committed to improve the lot of our sugarcane growers and expect that the Centre will lend a helping hand to achieve this mission. After all honouring farmers means honouring the country's independence. Rawat recently wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a financial package of Rs 400 crore to help clear the dues of sugarcane growers.

He also put on hold recovery of bank dues from sugarcane growers for the next three months.

The Chief Minister assured that in the coming months, taking development activities to the remote hill areas of the state will be his government's priority. A meeting of the state cabinet in Almora recently was an attempt to take this message to the hill people whose aspirations formed the core of Uttarakhand statehood movement, Rawat said. He said the State Assembly's session held in Gairsain was also meant to honour the sentiment of Uttarakhand statehood activists.

Assuring that many schemes are being worked out for the benefit of statehood agitationists, he said they will be implemented after the process of identifying them was complete.

Rawat also gave away the Chief Minister's Sarahniya Seva medals to 37 police personnel including DIG GS Martolia (STF, Police headquarters), Rudraprayag SP Barinderjit Singh and Haridwar SP Pramendra Dobal for their active role in rescue operations in the wake of last year's natural calamity.

Earlier, hoisting the national flag at Raj Bhawan, Governor Aziz Qureshi remembered the protagonists of India's freedom struggle and said protecting this hard-earned independence is the collective responsibility of every Indian. State Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal also unfurled the tricolour at Vidhan Bhawan here to mark the occasion.