Uttarakhand, situated in the foothills of Himalayas, is among the fastest growing states in the country. The state is a major tourist destination, especially for religious and wildlife tourism. Uttarakhand has a robust secondary sector (49 per cent) but weak primary and services sectors. The growth in secondary sector was primarily due to the special industrial package given to the state which ended in 2010, therefore, the industrialisation may slowdown in future. Thus, the state is actively promoting horticulture and food processing in the primary sector and hydropower, tourism, wellness services in the service sector.

There is also a wide regional and economic disparity. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat led government has taken a number of steps to bridge the socio-economic and regional gaps. “The per capita income of Uttarakhand today is more than Rs 1.98 lakh but when we compare between different districts, there is a huge gap. We have to bridge these gaps,” Rawat said at the second edition of Raibar event organised at Tehri, Uttarakhand, on 3 November 2019. “In the last two and a half years, the government has formulated several schemes and policies that allow the development of hilly and far-flung areas,” he added.

With five commendable projects Uttarakhand is categorised as a Catching Up state in the SKOCH State of Governance 2019 ranking. The state has introduced impressive schemes for housing and livelihood promotion.

The government has introduced innovative steps to ensure effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Grameen) in the disaster affected Pithoragarh district. Apart from the money, the administration provides technical support in building the houses, which are earthquake resistant and durable. There is a major hike in the financial assistance provided to the beneficiaries, which is 1.2 lakh per housing unit for the plane and 1.3 lakh for the hilly areas. In order to deal with the problem of mismanagement of funds, the money is getting directly transferred into the account of the beneficiary.

Uttara Awas Yojana

Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority has launched Uttara Awas Yojana with an objective to meet the Housing for All targets. The initiative seeks to develop cross functional synergies with other government institutions. Professional outreach methods have been adopted to attract private sector capital in the areas of housing development. Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority has launched multiple housing projects to fulfill the need of affordable housing.

Sustainable Livelihood for Disabled and Widows

District administration Pithoragarh has implemented a livelihood programme to provide sustainable way of living to vulnerable section of society – disabled and widows. Under the scheme Rs 30,000 as one time grant for individual and Rs 1 lakh for group activity is being allocated. Selection of the beneficiaries is done through Gram Sabha.