Vision and Action Programme for All Round Socio-Economic Development of Hilly and Mountainous State Uttarakhand

Abstract: The local inhabitants lag behind in the field of education, health care, tourism, horticulture, and agriculture, or in other words its own Socio-Economic development. More than 60 percent of the hilly and mountainous Uttarakhand state, including rivers valleys, forest land and snow-covered high mountains that are landlocked belong to the Government. The local inhabitants are left with less than 40 percent of land, only for their domestic use for settlements, agriculture and horticulture. In view of this bottleneck, the policies regarding its use, as well as public expenditure to create infrastructure facilities, affect growth and distribution of income. The climate and physiography of this Uttarakhand State are prime determinants of socio-economic development of plain areas due to following reasons: 1) A "Habitable Trinity" that involves: i) a co-existing atmosphere, ii) perennial source of water and iii) about more than 60 percent hilly and mountainous and forested landmass with continuous material circulation between three of them that is driven by the Sun. This setting has been one of the minimum requirement for the life to survive (on the basis of elements: - C, H, O, N, and nutrients -K & P) since early days of evolution to development. Uttarakhand State provides elements consisting of life body (C, H, O, N and nutrients - K & P), which are provided from the three components: atmospheres (C & N), water (H & O), landmass (nutrients, e.g., K and P), and forest (O). 2) The thick snow-cover on the high mountains of Uttarakhand State has sufficient water to irrigate the land and quench the thirst of the people of plane areas of our country even when there are no monsoon-rains, at least, for some monsoon seasons. 3) The perennial rivers of Uttarakhand have been of great help right for the people of plain areas to quench their thirst and irrigate their land and other day-to-day purposes. 4) The forests and high snow covered mountains. The author suggests the following measures to stop the migration of locals: a) To make some education centre at one place in the hilly and mountainous area where all the children of the local inhabitants would get free education, including tourism and hotel management, right from primary level to higher education, beside food and other facilities. The higher free education (medical and engineering) should be provided only to those children who would, willingly, offer to serve in this hilly and mountainous region. b) To shift some of the Govt. Departments in the hilly and mountainous area of Uttarakhand state. c) To establish hill station/tourist spot/ideal village, similar to Mussoorie and Nainital, in each district of Uttarakhand State which should be equipped by: i) Development of industries such as electronics which do not pollute the atmosphere and lead to high value addition. ii) Evolution of appropriate technology and scientific inputs which would suit local conditions and harness local resources. d) The health and medical facilities be also provided free at the village level, block level, and district level Health and Medical Centres to these locals along with highly duty conscious ambulance services. e) The Govt. must provide solar energy, safe drinking water based on gravitational flow to the locals. f) Govt. should also provide free its unused barren-land and the open-unused land within the forest, on lease basis, to the locals for practicing Horticulture and agriculture. g) The locals need to be educated for their skill development in the field of agriculture, rearing of livestock, doing handiwork which they possess. h) The children of locals of this remotest area that is mostly landlocked, right from Main Boundary Fault/Thrust to the main Himalayan Mountains must be informed well in advance about all the recruitments of all the posts and examinations in different Govt. and Private sectors, so that they too can apply well in time for selection. The examination and recruitment centres must be in the hilly and mountainous area that is very near to the children of the local inhabitants of this remotest area. The suggestions as suggested by the author are required by the very efficient team of executives who love the inhabitants of this hilly and mountainous Uttarakhand so as to assure no time and cost over runs.

Keywords: education, healthcare, tourism, horticulture, agriculture

Edition: Volume 12 Issue 6, June 2023,

Pages: 1063 - 1082