Uttarakhand government is devoted whole-heartedly towards the betterment of this new Indian state formed as late as in 2000. Uttarakhand government is comprised of an extremely efficient legislature, backed by an equally committed judiciary and executive. Presently, the state legislative functions under the governorship of Mr. Sudershan Agarwal, a social worker and a scholar of great renown. All the functions of Uttarakhand government are based primarily in Dehradun of Garhwal division, the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand.
The executive body of Uttarakhand's government is formed of members elected from the 70 assembly constituencies of the state. These assembly constituencies are spread over the thirteen districts of the state. The divisional commissioners of the two divisions of Dehradun are also secretaries of the state. The chief secretary of Uttarakhand is Sri S.K. Das. He guides his group of state secretaries and special secretaries and ensures that Uttarakhand government is run smoothly. Nainital is the center of the Uttarakhand's judiciary.
Mineral Resources
Mineral resources of Uttarakhand plays a significant role in the economy of Uttarakhand. Although, the mineral resources of Uttarakhand are not as varied as that of Bihar or Orissa; yet mineral resources at Uttarakhand largely contribute towards the economic well being of the state.
The Chamoli district of Uttarakhand is especially famous for housing a number of mineral resources in Uttarakhand. The northern division of the district consist entirely of medium to high grade metamorphic rocks, which also contains bands of volcanic rocks in some areas; the southern division contains sedimentary and low-grade metamorphic rocks, with bands of volcanic rocks in some regions.
Although much is not known about the geology of the first division of Chamoli, yet the mineral resources contain rocks such as quartzite, marble, and various types of schist and gneiss. The southern division contains rocks such as gneiss, limestone, phyllites, quartzite, sericite-biotite schist and slate.
Legislature
Legislature in Uttarakhand is controlled by the State Legislative Assembly of Uttarakhand. The legislature of Uttarakhand is unicameral in nature which means that it is composed of only one legislative body. Uttarakhand legislature is one of the youngest in the country, the state being formed as late as in 2000. It is devoted towards a maintenance of the existing legislative structure and implement new laws and amend them as and when required. It is the very cornerstone of democracy in the state.
Special Secretaries
Special secretaries of Uttarakhand play a very important role in the over all functioning of the state's executive. The complete governance of a state is incomplete without the portfolios of the special secretaries. At the same time, the entire financial standing of the state is often enhanced, if not based on the revenues of some of the portfolios that are included in the state's special secretariat wings.
The range of the portfolios that are held by Uttarakhand's special secretaries come from a wide range of governance concerns. They can ensure the revenue of the state, like entertainment tax and finance. They can be of extreme economic interest like cane cultivation and rural engineering. They can also be of a purely humanitarian nature like looking after the welfare of he freedom fighters. As such, the expertise of some of the most efficient administrators and civil servants are needed for a smooth functioning of the government's departments that the special secretaries are responsible for. Special secretaries in Uttarakhand work in close association with the chief secretary and the concerned ministries. Some portfolios operate as subsidiaries to other portfolios looked after by the concerned secretaries of the state.
Chief Engineer
Chief engineer Uttarakhand is a post that talks of the state's willingness to optimize the use of Hydroelectricity resources of the state. The chief engineer of Uttarakhand works in unison with the department of irrigation. Particularly devoted to the making and maintenance of the Tehri Dam. The chief engineer of Uttarakhand has his office in Dehradun. The post of the chief engineer Uttarakhand goes back a long way. It was created as early as in 1960, when the state was a part of Uttar Pradesh. This post is a continuation of the post of the chief engineer Yamuna Valley Projects.
Uttarakhand is a comparatively new state in India. But the politics of the region has already generated much interest to all who are interested in the happenings of Indian politics. Some of the leading national political parties take a keen interest in the affairs of Uttarakhand and have made their presence strongly felt in the region. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is one of strongest national level parties in Uttarakhand. The Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also have a very significant presence in the state.
Political Parties of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand is a comparatively new state in India. But the politics of the region has already generated much interest to all who are interested in the happenings of Indian politics. Some of the leading national political parties take a keen interest in the affairs of Uttarakhand and have made their presence strongly felt in the region. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is one of strongest national level parties in Uttarakhand. The Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also have a very significant presence in the state.
The presence of the state based political parties is a very significant feature of the Indian political scene. They often raise the demands and the problems with much more pertinence than some of the national parties. Although many of them do not enjoy the organizational strength to emerge as single majorities, yet they often play very important roles in the formation of coalitions and decide the fate of the politics of each state. Uttarakhand's political parties include a strong presence of state parties. The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, also known as the Uttarakhand Revolution Party, is the single most important state level political party at Uttarakhand. Samajwadi Party also has a strong presence in Uttarakhand.
Politics
The presence of the state based political parties is a very significant feature of the Indian political scene. They often raise the demands and the problems with much more pertinence than some of the national parties. Although many of them do not enjoy the organizational strength to emerge as single majorities, yet they often play very important roles in the formation of coalitions and decide the fate of the politics of each state. Uttarakhand's political parties include a strong presence of state parties. The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, also known as the Uttarakhand Revolution Party, is the single most important state level political party at Uttarakhand. Samajwadi Party also has a strong presence in Uttarakhand.
ttarakhand was created in 2000. It was the realization of a dream long cherished by the inhabitants of the upper Himalayas for a separate state for themselves. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) are the two most important national parties in the Uttarakhand politics. The Bharatiya Samajwadi Party (BSP), along with certain leftist parties, has a strong base in the political scenario of Uttarakhand.
The national level parties of Uttarakhand are backed with a strong support from the state level parties of the region. Specially, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), the main thinkers behind the formation of the separate state for the mountain dwellers, still continue to exert a telling influence in the scene of Uttarakhand politics.
Industries
Industries of Uttarakhand form the basis of the economic set up of Uttarakhand. The State Industrial Corporation of Uttarakhand has developed seven industrial estates; and thus it is helping the industries of Uttarakhand to develop further.
Industries in the perspective of today's world plays a large role in the consolidating the socio-economic rubric of a state. Previously, agriculture used to the basis of the economic set up, but after the Industrial Revolution, agriculture has taken a back-seat.
In this respect, industries in Uttarakhand are the means of resurgence in the economy of Uttarakhand. In fact, it is the industries that is helping the government of Uttarakhand to compete with the other States.
Uttarakhand, nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, houses a lot of mineral resources which largely contribute towards the industrial development of the State.
Real Estates
Real estates have become a happening sector in Uttarakhand, as well as in India, after the real estate boom in 2005. All the three segments of real estate, namely residential, commercial and retail, are working wonders in the economy of Uttarakhand.
Since the year 2005, India has seen a considerable hike in the demand for real estates in Uttarakhand. With the infiltration of the NRIs, the real estate business in India has taken a tremendous up swing; due to the increase in Indian real estate market, Uttarakhand real estate market is soaring upwards.
This boom in the real estates of Uttarakhand have led the builders like Unitech, and the others to buy huge lands in northern India, including Uttarakhand, to develop residential and commercial properties there.
In fact, with the help of these real estate agents, one can buy centrally air-conditioned apartments, or precisely speaking sophisticated apartments, enabled with all the hi-tech gadgets in every corner of the State.
Divisional Commissioners
Divisional Commissioners of Uttarakhand are responsible for the governance of the two divisions of Uttarakhand state, Garhwal and Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand divisional commissioners look after the proper maintenance of all the important civic amenities of the inhabitants of the state, by ensuring a proper running of the departments in each division. The amenities include food, transport, employment, subsidies and an executions of the decisions reached by the legislature of Uttarakhand.
Both of Uttarakhand's divisional commissioners serve the very important task of coordinating the works of the various districts in the state. The work is mainly that of coordination, and monitoring the proper implementation of all the tenets that the state legislature as ascertained.
High Court
The Uttarakhand State was constituted after the bifurcation of the state of Uttar Pradesh on 9th November, 2000. During the process of creation of the State, the High Court of Uttarakhand also came into being on the same day at Nainital. From that day, the High Court has been operating in an old building located in Mallital, Nainital which was formerly called the old Secretariat.
The edifice of the High Court is rather impressive and was built in 1900 AD. There is a park before the building and China Peak, the highest peak in Nainital that stands as a backdrop rendering the building with a more aesthetic appeal. At the start, five Court rooms were constructed but later on more Court rooms have been added. An enormous Chief Justice Court Block and a Block of Lawyers' chambers are presently being built which are expected to be completed quite soon.
State Based Political Parties
State based political parties of Uttarakhand play a very important role in the political scenario of the state. State level parties are important players in the coalitions created in the formation of the state assembly. The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and the Samajwadi Party are the biggest names among the state based political parties at Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), also known as the Uttarakhand Revolution Party, is the most important of all state based political parties in Uttarakhand. The party was established in 1979 with the demand to form a separate state in the Himalayas. Their endeavor finally met with success when the separate state of Uttarakhand was created n 2000. Although it has not been able to live up to its promise as the single largest voice for the inhabitants of the mountain regions of Uttarakhand, it still continues to fight for the several demands and the issues raised by the inhabitants of the state. BD Raturi, the founding member of the party continues as the president of the party. UKD won three seats in the elections of 2007. UKD played a very important role in the formation of the State Assembly when it joined hands with BJP, who were one seat short in getting an absolute majority in the Vidhan Sabha. Although it was thought to be incongruous to the center-left ideological position of the party that it maintained in its early state of inception, yet it attested to the political importance of the party in the political affairs of the state.
Fishing
Fishing is an important part of the economy of Uttarakhand. Apart from agriculture, industries and tourism, fishing also plays an integral role in the economy of the State.
The geography of Uttarakhand presents topographic variations in many parts of the state, which hinders the prospects of agriculture in Uttarakhand. Agriculture in many parts of Uttarakhand seems to be a nightmare to the inhabitants.
In such an instance, fishing seems to be the most convenient option for the people residing in Uttarakhand. Moreover, many regions of Uttarakhand have ample number of lakes that largely contributes towards the fishing industries.
Among the important fishes found in Uttarakhand are:
- Mulley
- Monstrous Goonch
- Tengra
- Butchwa
- Indian Trout etc.
National Level Political Parties
National level political parties in Uttarakhand have an extremely strong presence in the political scene of the state. These parties, along with the state level parties, are largely responsible in deciding the political fate of this new state. The elections of 2007, have shown the extent of influence that the national level political parties exert on the politics of the state.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the strongest presence of all national level parties at Uttarakhand. Sri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the state president of the party in Uttarakhand, led the party to a resounding success in the assembly elections of 2007 and missed the single majority by only a single seat. The performance of BJP was equally impressive in the Lok Sabha elections, with three out of the five contestants winning in their respective parliamentary constituencies. The state office of BJP is at Balbir Road in Dehradun.
Foreign Investments
Opportunities for foreign investments have increased in Uttarakhand with the growth of its industries. With the growth of the industries, foreign investment in Uttarakhand has become an active domain. Foreign investment is defined as the investment made to acquire lasting interest in enterprises outside one's own economy. In this context, it can be said that with growth of the economy of Uttarakhand, NRIs are taking a keen interest in the Uttarakhand's foreign investment.
Talking about foreign investment of Uttarakhand, it can be said that foreign investment consists of a parent enterprise and a foreign affiliate that form a transactional corporation. Moreover, in order to qualify as Foreign Direct Investment, the investor must afford the parent enterprise control over its foreign affiliate: this rule of foreign investment is also applicable for the foreign investment in Uttarakhand.
Tourism
The Himalayan region of Uttarakhand is a popular tourism destination which possesses Alpine conditions represented by cold winters with prolonged snowfall, considerable rainfall in the monsoon and pleasant summers. This climate is the most significant factor in providing the state with its only livelihood, that is tourism.
The scope of tourism is considerable in this state, whether it is nature, wildlife, adventure or pilgrimage. The most popular destinations in Uttarakhand are:
- Haridwar
- Rishikesh
- Dehradun
- Mussoorie
- Almora
- Kedarnath
- Badrinath
- Yamunotri
- Gangotri
- Nainital
- Ranikhet
- Pithoragarh
If you are adventurous and prefer to face a few thrills, you can opt for high- and low-altitude trekking, river rafting, para gliding, hang-gliding, mountaineering, skiing and similar other alternatives.
Agriculture
Conventional Himalayan agriculture is being destroyed by market stresses, introducing both economic and cultural modifications in Uttarakhand. Ancient self-sufficiency has been replaced by dependency on imports from the plains, with their pesticide or chemical fertilizer-enhanced products. Cultural domination from the plains also poses a threat to the usual foods as an increasing preference for mill-polished rice is triumphing over mountain crops. Activists in the hills have responded with a 'Save the Seeds' campaign and are generating awareness about the necessity for biodiversity in agriculture.
Agriculture takes place in the river valleys of Uttarakhand (a meagre 10-15% of the total land area). Over time, several slopes have been shaped into field terraces, a common trend in mountain agriculture everywhere. The Uttarakhand farmers have also developed advanced manure, crop rotation, and inter-cropping practices. Most land along the slopes remains unirrigated.
The judiciary of Uttarakhand is the continuation of the British Legal system established during the 19th century. Moreover, the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislature are the three major constituents of the administration of Uttarakhand.
Initially, the judiciary of Uttarakhand, or broadly speaking the judiciary of India, was based on Kautilyas 'Arthashastra'. But with the expansion of the British colony in India, the policies of Arthashastra got replaced by the 'common law' proposed by the British Empire.
Judiciary
In fact, the judiciary of Uttarakhand was constituted in the year 2000, with its seat at Nainital. From that day onwards, the judiciary of Uttarakhand, that largely depends on the High Court of Uttarakhand has been operating in the old building situated at Mallital (Nainital).
Moreover, it can be said that the Judiciary of Uttarakhand or any other state of India is equivalent to its High Court. In fact, the entire judiciary or the jurisdiction of the State, and in this instance Uttarakhand, lies with the High Court. Therefore, it becomes the duty of the High Court to look after the sound existence of that state.
Constituencies
Constituencies of Uttarakhand are spread over the 13 districts of the state in its two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon. There are 5 parliamentary constituencies and 70 assembly constituencies in the newly founded state of Uttarakhand. Both the parliamentary constituencies and the assembly constituencies in Uttarakhand see a major participation from the major national parties. It also becomes the seat for vigorous competition for some of the state level and exclusively regional parties as well.
Both the lists of parliamentary and assembly constituencies of Uttarakhand are enlisted below.
There are five parliamentary constituencies at Uttarakhand. Hardwar is the only SC seat and all the others are of the general types. They are as follows:
- Garhwal
- Tehri Garhwal
- Nainital
- Almora
- Hardwar (SC)
There are 70 assembly constituencies in Uttarakhand. Fourteen of the constituencies are of SC types and Khatima is the only ST constituency. a list of the assembly constituencies of Uttarakhand are enlisted below along with an indication of the SC and the ST types whenever applicable:
- Purola (SC)
- Gangotri
- Yamunotri
- Tehri
- Deoprayag
- Pratapnagar
- Ghansali
- Narendranagar
- Chakrata (SC)
- Dhanolti (SC)
- Vikasnagar
- Sahaspur (SC)
- Laxman Chowk
- Dehradun
- Rajpur
- Rishikesh
- Doiwala
- Musoorie
- Roorkee
- Iqbalpur
- Manglor
- Bhagwanpur (SC)
- Landhaura (SC)
- Laksar
- Bahadrabad
- Yamakeshwar
- Hardwar
- Laldhang
- Kotdwar
- Dhumakot
- Bironkhal
- Lansdowne
- Pauri
- Srinagar (SC)
- Rudraprayag
- Thalisain
- Nandprayag
- Kedarnath
- Badrinath
- Pindar (SC)
- Karanprayag
- Kanda
- Kapkot
- Bhikiasain
- Salt
- Dwarahat
- Bageshwar (SC)
- Almora
- Ranikhet
- Someshwar (SC)
- Mukteshwar (SC)
- Dhari
- Haldwani
- Jageshwar
- Nainital
- Ramnagar
- Jaspur
- Bajpur
- Kashipur
- Sitarganj (SC)
- Khatima (ST)
- Pantnagar - Gadarpur
- Rudrapur - Kichha
- Champawat
- Lohaghat
- Gangolihat (SC)
- Pithorgarh
- Didihat
- Dharchula (SC)
- Kanalichhina
Ministry of Tourism
Ministry of tourism of Uttarakhand is responsible for maintaining and generating revenue from tourism in the state. It is also the responsibility of tourism ministry of Uttarakhand to formulate plans for increasing revenue from tourism industry. The ministry has to decide the rules and regulations for the efficient working of the tourism industry.
Tourism ministry of Uttarakhand has created two tourism corporations for Garhwal and Kumaon region named as Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited so as to offer quality service to the tourists. Moreover, these two regions consists of most of the star tourist attractions. Through these corporations, the ministry of tourism of Uttarakhand is trying to woo more tourists in these regions by offering various tourist packages. These tourist packages range from pilgrimage, adventure sports to wildlife tours, etc. Tourists can book this on line. This is how it is adding up revenue to the state economy.
Last Updated on 4 March 2013
