Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 20 (ANI): Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday interacted with the public representatives of all the Municipal Corporations and Municipalities of the state in the 'Shahar Se Samvad' program organized by the Urban Development Department at the Chief Sevak Sadan, said a release.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister launched three web portals that the Urban Development Department prepared to assist women's self-help groups.

According to the release, the Chief Minister announced to digitize the offices of municipal bodies, build Silver Jubilee Parks, create vending zones in municipal bodies, request the Government of India to untie the tied fund and run a training program for local women and men to set up 10 hi-tech hair salons/parlors in each municipal corporation, 5 in a municipality and 3 in a Nagar Panchayat in the state.

In the program, the Chief Minister heard and noted the problems of various local public representatives, including the Mayors of all Municipal Corporations and Presidents of Municipalities.

While interacting with the public representatives of the municipal bodies, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that 'Urban Government', Municipal Corporations and Municipalities are the soul of any city. It not only works to provide basic facilities to the public, but also plays an important role in deciding the direction and condition of a city.

According to the release, the Chief Minister said that a lot still remains to be done. The problem of drainage remains in many cities. Also, there is a need to strengthen the garbage management system in cities. Traffic jams have now become a common challenge in cities, and to control them, the local bodies will also have to make special efforts. Along with this, we will also have to work with a priority towards environmental protection.

Chief Minister Dhami said that you people have to make determined efforts to face all these challenges shoulder to shoulder with the government. I want to assure you that our government is fully committed to providing all possible assistance to the municipal bodies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken India to new heights of development and prosperity by following the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas'.

Through the Swachh Bharat Mission, a new culture of cleanliness has developed in millions of cities, towns, and villages across the country. The AMRUT scheme has strengthened urban infrastructure such as water supply, sewerage, and green spaces.

Through the Smart City Mission, an effort is being made to present a model of ideal city development by combining urban development with technology and civic amenities. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, lakhs of poor families have got their own pucca houses.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that with the guidance and cooperation of the Prime Minister, our state government is also making continuous efforts to provide a new direction for the development of Uttarakhand.

'Our government has worked to implement various central government schemes effectively in the state. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, every city's solid waste management and sanitation systems are being strengthened. Various public welfare schemes like Smart City Mission, PM Swanidhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, AMRUT Mission are being implemented. Efforts have been made to provide benefits to every citizen of Uttarakhand. Along with this, with the motto of 'Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi', continuous work is also being done towards preserving and enhancing the rich cultural heritage of the state. The women power of the state is doing excellent work across the state. The products they make are even better than the products of multinational companies. Women's power is the biggest strength of the state. Mothers and sisters have the biggest role in making Uttarakhand a leading state,' he added.

Chief Minister Dhami said that, as a result of these efforts, our state has reached the first position in the country in achieving the goals of sustainable development in the SDG Index Report of NITI Aayog.

'We have emerged as a leading state in providing employment to the youth. We have succeeded in bringing down the unemployment rate by a record 4.4 per cent in a year, which is more than the national average. Along with development works, our government is also fully committed to preserving the cultural values and demography of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. Along with this, strict anti-riot and anti-conversion laws have also been implemented in the state,' said CM Dhami.

According to the release, the Chief Minister said that we have also implemented a strict land law in the state, which will ensure strict action against those who tamper with the basic nature of the state.

'Not only this, on one hand, by implementing the Uniform Civil Code law in the state, we have taken a strong step towards building a harmonious society. By strict anti-copy law, we have broken the backbone of the copy mafia, as a result of which today more than 23 thousand youth of the state have got government jobs. We are working under the 'zero tolerance' policy to eradicate the root of corruption. As a result of this, in the last three years, we have sent more than 200 people involved in corruption behind the bars of the jail,' said the Uttarakhand CM. (ANI)