Nailing the corrupt: 4000 corrupt govt officials suspended, says Uttarakhand CM

Claiming that his government had a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has said that the state administration had taken action against nearly 4000 officials. "We have a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. As many as 4000 officials have been suspended, 13 sent to jail and graft cases are going on against many others", Nishank told reporters.

He was addressing a press conference to highlight 10 years of existence of the state and its achievements. His statement on corruption comes just days after yoga guru Baba Ramdev claimed a state minister had demanded a bribe of Rs 2 crore to allow him to set up a new trust in the state. Highlighting other achievements of the state he said the industrial growth in 2000-1 was 1.9 per cent and 2010-11 it grew to 22 per cent. "Road connectivity has also been a major achievements in the state as we have constructed 21,886 km of road in 10 yrs. Wehnt eh state was formed there were only 84 bridges and now there are 742," Pokhriyal said.

Pointing out that 65 per cent of the land was under forest cover, he said the state had six national parks and six wildlife sanctuaries and that "in 2000 there were 40 tigers, now there are 200. This speaks about the importance we have given to protecting and national animal". He said the state was a leader in emergency services and that through the 108 emergency service as many as 1,841 children born in moving ambulances.

Highlighting the financial health of the state, the chief minister said in 2000 the state's revenue receipt was Rs 200 crores and in 2010-11 it touched Rs 11,342 crore. "In 2000, the per capita income was Rs 15000 per year and it is Rs 42,000 in 2010. A whopping 83,700 new jobs would be created within the next one year", Nishank said.

Thanking the Central government for giving Rs 1000 crore assistance to encourage development projects, he said 10 years back the development ratio was 2.9 per cent and now, in 2010, it went up to 9.4 per cent.