uttarakhand Budget 2016-17 AT A GLANCE

uttarakhand Budget 2016-17 AT A GLANCE

1- Receipts  Total revenue receipts of 2016-17 is estimated to be Rs. 32275.87 crore.  Total receipts in financial year 2016-17 estimated to be Rs. 39912.00 crore. 2- Expenditure  Total expenditure in financial year 2016-17 estimated to be Rs.40422.20 crore.

  Total expenditure in financial year 2016-17 estimated to be Rs. 32250.39 crore in revenue account and Rs. 8171.81 crore capital account .
 Rs 11015.62 crore provision is made towards expenditures on salaries and allowances of the employees, considering the recommendation of the Seventh pay commission.
  Plan expenditure is estimated to be Rs. 15931.60 crore approximately.

3.-Main Budget Highlights :
  Budget provision has been made to make rural roads hills by linking villages with roads "Mera Gaon Meri Sadak Yojana".
 An umbrella scheme named "Hito Pahad Hito Gaon" to link general public with their roots has been launched.
 To address the unemployment problem and to check migration from the hills , new industries will be put up in NEPA, Khurpia, Parag, Sitarganj .
  Garib Gaon, Guru ji, Ganna Gur, Guy-Goshalla ,Gochar, Ganga, GadGadhera, Gujar-Basar, Gahat Galgal, Gethi and Gadua-Gadedi with all these the scope for development shall be explored.
 Minimum support price for traditional crops like Mandua, Ramdana, Ugal, Phaphar.
  Government shall support the production of Organic Jaggery.
  New scheme named Madhav Singh Bhandari krishi syebhagita Yojna is proposed to encourage cooperative farming and an expert group shall be formed to develop Border Hill agriculture.
 20 villages shall be selected to plant Medicinal Herbs .
  Power plants run through Bagas shall be encouraged, Effluent treatment Plants shall be established.
 2  A scheme for distribution of Sanitary Napkin to Adolescent girls is being launched .  Govt plans to establish international Zoo in Haldwani .
 Budget provision for Varnavrat mountain treatment.
 Almora residential university shall be established.  A new scheme named Gramin Khel kood avam swasthe samvberdhan Yojna shall be started to encourage village sports.
  Budget provision for Tertiary care programme and Pardhan Mantri Jan Aushdhi Yojna.
 Various places shall be develop as Yoga Circuits, in which Yoga will be taught. Also nearly 1000 people shall be made part-time Yoga trainers.
 Budget provision for one time grant for the establishment of Uttarakhand metro and building corporation.  Budget provision for Gorkha kalyan prishad.
 A new scheme for extremely backward classes named Baba Sahib Phule Yojna shall be started.  Raja Rahul Dev Scholarship programme to benefit students belonging to Rajbhar Cast.
  Raja Vijay Singh Paritoshikh Yojna to encourage meritorious girls students from backward classes.  Jagar University shall be established and Jagariya/Dagriya shall also be eligible for the benefits under the pension scheme.
 Local crafts and food stalls shall be developed on National Highways and popular tourist routes, 50 percent of the stalls and shops reserved for women.  Female aspirants preparing for Civil services and government jobs shall be incentivised.
 Budget provision for establishment of directorate of Para military forces.  Uttarakhand Rajya Alap-Sankhyak Huner parishad to be established to enhance the employability of minority community.  Mukhya Mantri Vishes Chatravrity Yojna to benefit Muslim girl students.  One special ward to be reserved for working class in all the medical collages and base hospitals of the state.  Budget provision for Uttarakhand Rajye Karamchari Kalyan Nigam.
 2000 people shall be trained to become crafts men and crafts women. 3  Uttarakhand cuisine and craftsmen ship to be protected and encouraged.  Budget provision for Start-Up and Stand-Up industrial development.  Mukhya Mantri Yuva Swalamban Yojna shall be launched.
  Women industrial Park shall be established in 200 acres in Sidcul land.
 Indra Dugdh Vikas Mandal shall be established.
 Jayanand Bharti Dastkaar Training programme shall be started.  Budget provision for subsidizing purchase of Silk.
  Food Park shall be established in Kasipur.
 Mukhya Mantri Vyavasaik Chalak Bima Yojana shall be started.
 Freedom Fighters from Uttarakhand shall be remembered. Various important places shall be named after freedom fighters and their statues shall be placed.
 Ten old age wellness parks shall be developed.  A policy for self employment of differently able people to come up soon.
  A scheme under the name of late Shri. Khushiram Arya to establish 50 new villages .  Special Assistance of 25 thousand, 20 thousand, 15 thousand to differently abled women.
 Maternity leave to all women employees of state irrespective of the fact that they are contract or outsource employee.
 Budget provision for support of Organic farm in Masala Mirchi and vermi compost.  Horticulture training centre to be established in Ravai Valley in Uttarkashi.
  Budget provision for Mission Apple Yojna.  Bus Stations and Bus Depots to be established in Gangolihat, Ghansali, Bageshwar, Sitarganj, Baajpur, Bhagwanpur, Laskher, Chabrera, Almora, Khatima, Kaleshwer, Champawat, Srinagar, Pithoragarh, Lohaghat,Tadikhet, Purola.
 A new scheme to be launched Dr. APJ Abdul kalam Gram Badlav Yojna .
 Mukhya Mantri Uttarakhand Rajye Van Jivo se Kheti ki Surksha Yojna to be launched in which wild animals shall be kept away from damaging crops.

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Upgraded Advanced Landing Grounds at Ziro and Along Inaugurated

Upgraded Advanced Landing Grounds at Ziro and Along Inaugurated

The operational capability of the Indian Air Force got a major fillip with the re-launching of two upgraded Advanced Landing Grounds (ALG) at Ziro and Along in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday.

"The ALGs will further enhance our existing operational capabilities in Eastern Air Command." Air Marshal C Hari Kumar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command said during the inauguration at Ziro ALG.

"The capacity build-up will enable operations by some of our new inductions including the C-130J Super Hercules," he also said.

"Besides enhancing air maintenance capability of the IAF in the region, the new airfield will also facilitate civil air connectivity soon," the Air Marshal also added.

The Air Marshal also inaugurated the ALG at Along on Saturday.

It may be recalled that Vayudoot Airlines once operated from Ziro airfield in the mid-eighties. Subsequently, the IAF has always operated a flying detachment from the ALG at Ziro for air maintenance purposes.

The runway surface at Ziro saw a steady deterioration over a period of time due to lack of maintenance and other issues. Encroachment due to absence of a security wall further added to the declining status of the airfield. There was, however, always a need to connect the beautiful valley of Ziro with rest of the country by air, for tourism as well as other purposes.

The IAF took over the Ziro airfield from AAI in August 2010.

Consequent to the CCS approval in June 2009, the IAF embarked on an ambitious reconstruction plan to upgrade the existing eight ALGs, including infrastructure development at certain airbases in EAC's area of responsibility.

The ALGs for upgradation include Tuting, Mechuka, Along, Tawang, Ziro, Pasighat, Walong and Vijaynagar in Arunachal Pradesh. The outlay plan for the upgradation of ALGs alone is nearly Rs. 1,000 Crore.

The ALG at Along prior to the upgradation was partly paved, partly grassy, and duly reinforced with perforated steel plates. Besides IAF, which operates all year round, Pawan Hans also operates helicopters from here during non-monsoon periods.

With the inauguration of the ALGs at Ziro and Along, altogether three ALGs have since got upgraded with paved runway surfaces and other facilities such as aprons for ground manouevring, Air Traffic Control tower with associated infrastructure including perimeter road and a security wall.

The new runway surfaces and other infrastructures are being built to the exacting standards for any other modern airfield in the country. Runway length and width, wherever feasible, has been extended and will enable ATR class of fixed wing operations in most of the ALGs.

Earlier, the ALG at Walong was inaugurated in October last year.

The construction works under Chief Construction Engineer (North-East Project), closely monitored by HQ EAC began in 2013, and an Apex Steering Committee (ASC) under the chairmanship of Vice Chief of Air Staff monitors the progress of all the North-Eastern Projects.

Three more ALGs -- Mechuka, Pasighat, Tuting – are scheduled to be inaugurated in the next three months. The ALG project at Tawang, which was taken up only in 2014, is ongoing and is expected to be ready by September this year. 

Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award

Second Day of Festival of Innovations to Start with Presentation Of Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award

The Second day of Festival of Innovations will witness presentation of Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) awards-2016 as well as Roundtable discussions on Inclusive Innovation tomorrow (March 13, 2016) at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi will also deliver a keynote address in a session on social innovations for large scale change.

The GYTI Awards were instituted by Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions [SRISTI], theinstitutional backbone for Honey Bee Networkto encourage a) technologies on the edge b) those with social impact and c) MLM (More from Less for Many) i.e. frugal solutions.A total of 2363 nominations from 276 Institutions & Universities, from 26 States & 2 Union Territories were reviewed out of which 19 innovations for award and another 24 for appreciation have been selected.

The roundtable discussions tomorrow will focus on topics such as Inclusive Innovation, Incubation & Acceleration Models for Innovative Start-ups; Innovation and Skill Development; Incentives for Innovation in Public Policy & Programmes and Social Innovations for large scale change. 

Rapporteurs’ Summarization in the Global Roundtable on Inclusive Innovations

Rapporteurs’ Summarization in the Global Roundtable on Inclusive Innovations

I extend a very warm welcome to the delegates for the Festival of Innovation, 2016 and the Global Roundtable on Inclusive Innovations. I am delighted to see that the Roundtable has once again attracted an impressive galaxy of scholars, practitioners and thinkers from around the world and India. 

2.         We are all gathered here today at a very important phase in India’s socio-economic development. The Indian economy today needs to generate 115 million non-farm jobs over the next decade, to gainfully employ its workforce and reap its ‘demographic dividend’. Given this context, encouraging and promoting self-employment as a career option for young people will be of paramount importance.

3.         A culture of innovation and entrepreneurship needs to be institutionalized as part of our socio-economic eco-system. Innovation and entrepreneurship needs to be inclusive and focus on a variety of enterprises, such as young technology firms, upcoming manufacturing businesses and rural innovator companies. We, as a nation, need a model that draws in the 350-400 million people who currently reside outside mainstream society. The launch of the Start-up India programme by the Government indicates our commitment towards harnessing the brilliance and creativity of our young minds for the larger benefit of society and the nation. I am confident that the recommendations made by the participants of the Roundtable will further help us in concretizing our plan of action.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

4.         Policy makers in India are confronted with the challenge of boosting economic growth while at the same time making it socially inclusive. Addressing high levels of poverty remains critical. Innovation is a driver of income growth, which under certain conditions benefits everybody in society, but which under different conditions might reinforce social exclusion. We, therefore, need to focus on “inclusive innovation” projects which are initiatives that directly serve the welfare of lower-income and excluded groups. Inclusive innovations often modify existing technologies, products or services to better meet the needs of those groups. Inclusive innovation will only be successful if it reaches a much larger segment of the poor and excluded population than it currently does. Scaling up of these processes would require initiatives that are built around: a) financially sustainable business models; and                         b) participation by lower-income and excluded groups.

5.         Entrepreneurs play an important role in the economic development of a country. Successful entrepreneurs innovate, bring new products and concepts to the market, improve market efficiency, build wealth, create jobs, and enhance economic growth. While we celebrate the success of several new ventures in e-commerce, information technology and mobile telephony, these will not suffice to deliver our aggregate growth expectations. India will have to encourage creation of new SMEs focused on manufacturing, while spurring grassroots innovation and growth. Putting entrepreneurship at the forefront of the economic agenda is, thus, the need of the hour.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

6.         Over the years technology has become disruptive and innovation has played a major role in technological breakthroughs through product, service and process related innovations. In that context, I had in January this year, the privilege of hosting Indian-American entrepreneurs from the Silicon Valley. In the presentations that they made before me, the one underlying message that emerged was the need for formulation of a comprehensive policy framework which will encourage investment in innovation, give impetus to research and create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship. A strong case was presented for creating business dynamism which will allow new firms to scale or fail and make it easy for unproductive firms to exit. The need to focus on a strong digital innovation agenda and a broad and inclusive skills strategy was also felt.

7.         I am  happy to state that Government today is actively working towards implementing this very agenda through a range of policy measures such as the Skill India programme, the Make in India programme, the Digital India programme, the ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’ programme and Atal Innovation Mission. I am confident that these policy interventions will give a new vibrancy to the Indian entrepreneurial landscape.

8.         I would, on this occasion, also like to highlight the low levels of investment by Indian firms and businesses in R&D. Our current investment levels in R&D are but a fraction of what world class companies spend. Even here, the major contributor of R&D expenditure is the Government. Without a substantive stepping up of these expenditures, we cannot expect to be at the higher end of the value chain. I take this opportunity to call upon the private sector and institutes of higher learning to devote a larger part of their resources for R&D to enable innovation and job creation across the economy.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

9.         The educational system and, in particular, students play a very critical role in the innovation eco-system of a country.  Many of the advanced nations have capitalized on their educational network to assume leadership positions in the area of innovation, start-ups and research.  India with an educational network of over 700 universities and 35,000 colleges is optimally placed to capitalize on its intellectual seed capital. In the conference of vice chancellors of central universities in 2013, I had called upon them to consider setting up innovation clubs that would act as a platform for exchange of ideas between the students and faculty, and grassroots innovators. I have reiterated this call in the conferences of heads of other central institutes of higher learning held subsequently. In the last three years, innovation clubs, incubators and hubs have been set up in around 85 central higher educational institutions. In the Visitor’s Conference held in November last year and the Governor’s Conference in February this year, I have requested the Vice Chancellors of Central Universities and Directors of NITs, IITs and IISERs as also Governors, who are the Chancellors of State Universities, to work on innovation as a theme in their respective educational institutions and facilitate transformation of ideas into innovative products and services.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

10.       Societies, as they evolve, always face challenges which they have to overcome using innovative and ‘out-of-the-box’ approaches. As I conclude, I would like to leave with you some thoughts on the challenges that we face today in creating a viable entrepreneurial eco-system. You may, perhaps, like to deliberate on these:

·    The challenge of engaging young minds constructively and   ensuring that growth is job-led and not jobless.  

·          The challenge of using Science and Technology to improve productivity and entrepreneurship leading to sustainable development.

·         The challenge of inter-linking academia with industry and other stakeholders.

·         The challenge of providing incubation, acceleration and public policy support for inclusive innovation. 

·         The challenge of reaching out to, and co-opting, in the developmental process those segments of society which have been traditionally excluded because of social, economic and spatial disadvantages. 

·         The challenge of creating new financial instruments for the entrepreneurial class, instruments which aid and enhance their risk taking capabilities.   

·         The challenge of evolving new institutional arrangements for harnessing the power of collaborative design and creation of solutions to cater to unmet social needs.  

·         The challenge  of harnessing the traditional knowledge systems of our country as well as other developing countries where such knowledge still exists to create global public goods as well as IP protected products and services.  

Ladies and Gentlemen:

11.       I wish you all the best for your interactions at the Roundtable. I am sure that these will result in recommendations which are both focused and goal oriented. I also take this opportunity to wish you a pleasant stay in Delhi and invite you to visit the famed Mughal Gardens which are currently in bloom.

Thank you.

Speech of the President at the Inauguration of the Sesquicentennial Celebrations of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

Speech of the President at the Inauguration of the Sesquicentennial Celebrations of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

1. I am delighted to join this distinguished gathering of judges, legal luminaries, members of the Bar and other dignitaries for the inauguration of the sesquicentennial celebrations of the Allahabad High Court.

2. This High Court will complete 150 years of its existence on 17, March 2016. The High Court building will also complete 100 years of its existence in November 2016. There is thus a dual purpose to these celebrations in what is one of the largest temples of justice not just in India but the entire world.

3. The Allahabad High Court was established by Royal Charter as the High Court of Judicature for the North Western Province on 17 March 1866 and initially had a seat at Agra. The High Court shifted to Allahabad in 1869.

4. This High Court, over the years, has earned fame as an institution of high standards with strong traditions and ideals. It’s Bench, as well as Bar, have been known for its intellectual erudition and legal acumen.

5. Members of its Bar played an important role in the freedom struggle and include illustrious personalities such as Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Pandit Motilal Nehru, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Purushottam Das Tandon and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The famous 'Chauri Chaura' and 'Meerut conspiracy' case are few cases wherein this Court delivered memorable judgments upholding the concept of liberty.

6. Today, the Allahabad High Court has jurisdiction over the largest state in India, covering nearly one-sixth of our total population. Having started functioning with six judges, it now has a sanctioned strength of 160 Judges, making it the biggest in the country. The Bar of the High Court in 1866 consisted of 6 Advocates. Its strength today is about 15,000 as per the rolls maintained by the Registry of the High Court. The rich jurisprudence emerging from this Court has benefited not just the people of Uttar Pradesh but the country at large.

7. Five judges of the High Court at Allahabad have adorned the office of Chief Justice of India, namely, Sarvashri K N Wanchoo, Mirza Hameedullah Beg, Raghunandan Swarup Pathak, Kamal Narain Singh and Visheshwar Nath Khare. I am happy to know that my distinguished predecessor, Dr. Rajendra Prasad opened the new wing of the High Court in 1954. President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan attended the centenary celebrations and President R. Venkataraman attended the 125th year celebrations.

Friends, ladies and gentlemen,

8. The judiciary in India has played an important role since independence in strengthening the democratic framework of the country and maintaining rule of law. High Courts in particular have a unique position under the Constitution of India. They are not only guardians of people’s rights and liberty, they also have the onerous responsibility of ensuring that access to justice is not denied to any citizen on account of economic or other disability.

9. Judiciary, which is one of the three important pillars of our democracy, is the final interpreter of the Constitution and laws. It must help maintain social order by swiftly and effectively dealing with those on the wrong side of the law. As an upholder of the Rule of Law and enforcer of the right to liberty, the role of the Judiciary is sacrosanct. The faith and confidence people have in the Judiciary must be always maintained. For justice to have meaning for the people, it must be accessible, affordable and quick. Though the Indian judiciary has many strengths, it is yet to fully meet the aspirations of our people for speedy and affordable justice.

10. Our Courts are today overburdened on account of the large number of cases pending before them. There are over three crore cases pending in various courts throughout the country. Out of these about 38.5 lakh cases are pending in 24 High Courts. The pendency of cases in the High Courts has slightly declined from 41.5 lakh in 2014 to 38.5 lakh in 2015, but we still have a long way to go. Overall, out of a sanctioned strength of 1056 judges in all the High Courts, the working strength of High Court judges throughout the country as on 1st March, 2016 was only 591. Similarly, the sanctioned strength of judicial officers in district and subordinate courts in the country is about 20,500 out of which the working strength is only about 16,000 at present.

11. The High Court at Allahabad today has only 71 Judges including the Chief Justice, against the sanctioned strength of 160 Judges. Approximately, 9,11,908 cases are pending in this Court as of February 2016, a decline from 10.1 lakh cases in 2014. The pendency in subordinate courts of Uttar Pradesh is approximately 57,06,103 as on 29.02.2016. More than 42,17,089 (as on 29.02.2016) of them are criminal cases.

12. Justice delayed is justice denied. I am sure that the Central Government and the State Government will extend all support to the Allahabad High Court in its endeavour to reduce pendencies. The Governments, Judges and lawyers must work hand in hand to make justice a living reality.

13. Increasing the number of courts and judges and judicial officers at all levels is the first step towards achieving the objective of timely delivery of justice. The government and the judiciary are collectively addressing this issue through an ongoing increase in the sanctioned strength of judges both at the level of the High Courts as well as District and Subordinate Courts. These sanctioned posts need to be filled quickly so that requisite judicial manpower is available for timely disposal of cases.

14. Along with increasing the strength of judges, development of judicial infrastructure is a priority area. I am glad that Central Government has initiated a centrally sponsored scheme for infrastructure development and sanctioned Rs. 3694 crores to States/ Union Territories in the last five years, which combined with resources from the States is creating new court complexes and residential buildings for judicial officers across the country.

15. It is imperative that we speed up adoption of information and communication technology in the judicial system. The process of computerisation of district and subordinate courts is underway through the eCourts Integrated Mission Mode project of the Central Government. Most of the courts have already been computerised pursuant to this initiative and I eagerly look forward to the day when all courts in the country will be integrated with the National Judicial Data Grid. I am particularly happy that a Centre for Information Technology has been established in the Allahabad High Court and approximately one crore decided case files running into 50 crore pages are to be digitized within one year.

16. In the past few decades, we have seen an exponential increase in the number of cases being filed before courts. The Government is strongly committed to simplifying legal procedures, weeding out contradictory and redundant laws and significantly reducing the number of cases in which the Government is a litigant. The Government is also working towards adoption of a National Litigation Policy that will be geared towards avoiding unnecessary Government litigation.

17. Another way to reduce the number of cases before courts is through the widespread adoption of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms that allow for quick and effective settlement of disputes. Right incentives must be provided to courts to support the use of ADR and at the same time, litigants should be made aware of the benefits of using ADR mechanisms and motivated to use the same. Mediation, in particular is an extremely effective tool for resolution of disputes such as matrimonial and property matters.

18. Further, there must be adequate provision for free legal aid. Greater efforts are also needed to spread legal literacy across the nation and improve the quality of legal education.

Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

19. As you are aware, the Government has launched the ‘Make in India’ campaign to turn our country into a manufacturing hub. To make this programme a success, we need to improve the ease of doing business in our country. Enforcement of contracts is a key yardstick in measuring the ease of doing business. The Government and judiciary must work in tandem to reduce costs and time taken for dispute resolution.

20. Over the past few years, a number of legislative changes have been introduced in procedural laws governing civil and criminal trials. These include measures to ensure that trials proceeds on a day to day basis, limiting of unnecessary adjournments, imposition of costs for causing intentional delays and integration of information and communication technology in court processes. Section 436A has been added to the Code of Criminal Procedure to provide for release of under trial prisoners who have undergone half of the maximum period of imprisonment for the stated offence. All these changes will contribute to preventing delays in the delivery of justice.

Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

21. Lawyers play an extremely important role in enabling the public access justice. The legal profession is regarded a noble profession in every society where the rule of law prevails. In India, a large number of our national leaders have been lawyers. Advocates are a vital pillar in the scheme of our constitutional governance and judicial process. They are bestowed with the responsibility to advocate citizens’ rights and maintain the integrity and independence of the legal system. Advocates must zealously fulfil this professional responsibility.

22. Let me conclude by congratulating the Allahabad High Court for its glorious contributions over one and a half century. I am confident the High Court will continue to uphold the basic values of equality, liberty and justice enshrined in our Constitution and safeguard the freedom and fundamental rights of our people so that they realize their full potential as worthy citizens of this great nation.

Thank you

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GARUDA SHAKTI IV opening ceremony conducted at magelang, Indonesia

Indo - Indonesia Joint Training Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI IV opening ceremony conducted at magelang, Indonesia

The opening ceremony of the fourth edition of the Indo- Indonesia Joint Training Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI IV/2016 was conducted at Military Training Area, Magelang, Indonesia. The Indian contingent comprised of platoon sized troops of an Infantry Battalion under Southern Command theatre and the Indonesian Army comprised of 503 Airborne Battalion of the TNI -AD. In an impressive military function the contingents of both the Armies conducted a ceremonial parade where National flags of both nations were marched in. The event was witnessed by senior ranked officers of both the countries.