Hopeful of UP-Uttarakhand disputes’ resolution: Harish Rawat

Lucknow, Jan 20 (IANS) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday expressed hope that the contentious issues between his state and Uttar Pradesh will soon be sorted out.

He was in Lucknow to attend the central zonal council meeting of chief ministers.

Before leaving for Uttarakhand, Rawat told reporters at the Amausi airport that a committee, headed by chief secretaries of both the states, would be constituted soon to find solution to all pending disputes.

Rawat said he was hopeful of an early and satisfactory solution to the decade-old issues as he found Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, and PWD and Irrigation Minister Shivpal Singh "extremely generous and very understanding people".

Instructions have been issued to complete the ground work for resolving the problems within 15 days, he said.

The chief minister said the two states have made progress in developing hydro-power projects, plugging lacunae in the notification of the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone, Jamrani dam project.

Rawat also said that Akhilesh Yadav assured him of prompt solution to the disputes and that Uttarakhand will get its rightful dues.

Rawat said when a state is carved out of another, such problems are bound to occur but it is important that stakeholders must have an honest will to resolve issues.