Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has praised the Central and State government agencies who were involved in the Silkyara tunnel rescue operation in Uttarkashi to save 41 labourers who got trapped after the tunnel collapsed leading to over a two-week-long rescue operation. He lauded the patience shown by workers in the difficult that will always inspire everyone. The Chief Minister was speaking at 'Saadar Abhinandan, Abhaar Mission Silkyara' program that was organised at the Mukhya Sevak Sadan located at the Chief Minister Camp Office.
The Chief Minister said that the rescue operation was successful only due to the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the courage of the workers. He said that the Prime Minister used to take updates from him every day about this rescue operation and whatever was required of experts and the necessary equipment to get the workers out safely, were received quickly under the guidance of the Prime Minister.
He said that during this rescue operation, the team of the Prime Minister's Office also remained on the spot regularly. Union Minister of State General VK Singh was also continuously present in Silkyara during this rescue operation and this operation was made successful by working in coordination with the central and state agencies, the CM said.
He added that the patience and courage shown by the families of all the workers in those challenging times will be remembered always. On behalf of the people of the state, he also expressed his gratitude to all the people engaged in this rescue operation.
The Chief Minister said that the patience of the workers trapped in the tunnel boosted everyone's morale to make this operation successful. He said, "Our workers are laying the foundation for a better and prosperous India. Keeping in mind the mantra of “Shramev Jayate”, the Central and State Governments are continuously committed to the welfare of the workers under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. "
Mentioning steps taken by the Central government for skilled labourers, the CM said the central government has made many changes in labor laws. "Shram Suvidha Portal has been started, under which eight important labor laws have been unified and simplified. Today every worker is being given a special Labor Identification Number so that he can be identified so that he can get the benefits of the schemes," the Chief Minister said. He said that a National Service Portal has also been created to ensure better coordination between workers and employers.
Dhami said PM Narendra Modi launched “PM Vishwakarma Yojana” worth Rs 13 thousand crore on Vishwakarma Jayanti, which will benefit about 30 lakh labor families across the country. He said that under this scheme, loan assistance will be provided to traditional craftsmen and artisans including other laborers at minimum interest rates without any guarantee. The implementation of this scheme on such a large scale after independence clearly shows that work is being done on the principle of Antyodaya, he added.
The Chief Minister said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, the state government is working rapidly in every field to make this decade the decade of Uttarakhand. Continuous efforts are being made to make Uttarakhand a leading state in every field by 2025, he said.
At the event, labor organisations expressed their gratitude to the Chief Minister. Secretary Labor Shri R. Meenakshi Sundaram said that Mission Silkyara was a challenging task. "The eyes of the entire country and the world were on this", he said.
He added that to make this mission successful, the Chief Minister continuously boosted the morale of the people engaged in rescue. The Chief Minister introduced that the welfare state is sensitive towards every class. He said the Labor Department's Chaupal will be organized soon.
On this occasion, Shri Sumit Singhal of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh said that the way Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami remained on the spot in Silkyara Mission and kept taking updates of every moment, he has never seen anyone in his lifetime working with such determination in any rescue operation. He said that everyone saw how the Chief Minister cared for the workers and saved their lives. He said that after the success of this mission, the morale of the workers has increased a lot.
Trade Union Coordination President Naveen Kuril said that the way Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami boosted everyone's morale by staying on the spot to make the Silkyara rescue operation successful was commendable. He said that after the success of this mission, a special place has been created for him in everyone's hearts.
Labor Commissioner Deepti Singh, representatives of various labor organizations and family members of the workers were present.