UP still rules roost, Uttaranchal left high and dry

UP still rules roost, Uttaranchal left high and dry
S.M.A. KAZMI

DEHRA DUN, DEC 18: Lack of planning in the days leading to Uttaranchal's formation has created a piquant situation for the state. Even 40 days after its existence, most of the key departments are still under control of Uttar Pradesh leaving Uttaranchal high and dry, specially in pecuniary matters. This is widely blamed on the two states' failure to get together and divide assets.

Several Departments including power, water supply, mandi parishads, forest corporation and transport and public Works are still ruled from Lucknow and there's much resentment here against some of UP's policy decisions. Lucknow recently posted 1200 junior engineers selected by the UP Public Service Commission to Uttaranchal creating much heartburn among the unemployed.

More than 90 per cent of these appointed engineers are not from Uttaranchal. Since rampant unemployment and discrimination against Uttaranchal youth was a major plank for demanding a separate hill state, the move has been opposed by locals.

Uttaranchal is also losing a whopping sum of Rs 40 crore per month as electricity charges to the UP Power Corporation in absence of a Power Corporation of its own. Uttaranchal has now decided to have its own Power Corporation but no time limit has been set for this.

Similarly, the water supply, mandi parishads and forest corporation departments in Uttaranchal are still run by UP and the money deposited in UP's coffers. With the deadline for bifurcation of assets nearing, UP has declared the forest corporation in the red. Earlier it was one of the few state government corporations earning profits.

The situation is no different in the transport department. Some 1060 buses plying in Uttaranchal are still under control of UP transport authorities. To hasten division of assets, some senior Uttaranchal officials were sent toLucknow last week to sort out the issue of posting of employees but no progress was reportedly made regarding division of assets.