Maj. Gen. (Retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri

Maj. Gen. (Retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri

Maj. Gen. (Retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, AVSM(Ati Vishisht Seva Medal); (born 1 October 1934) is an Indian politician. He served as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand two times from 2007–09 and 2011-12.   

 

He was also a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represented the Garhwal Parliamentary Constituency of Uttarkahand for four times in Lok Sabha and is a senior member of the Bharatiya Janta Party. He was also a minister in the Indian federal government.

Family and personal life

Khanduri was born at Dehradun in 1934; his parents were Jai Ballabh Khanduri (father), a journalist, and Durga Devi Khanduri (mother), a social activist.  Khanduri married on February 17, 1964 to Aruna Nainwal. He has a son (an Engineering Graduate and MBA from USA) and a daughter (faculty at Amity University).

Educational profile

Khanduri is B.Sc., B.E., and M.I.E (India). He is also post-graduate in Defence Management. He was a student of the following academic Institutions:

• College of Military Engineering, Pune
• Allahabad University;
• Institute of Engineers, New Delhi; and
• Institute of Defence Management, Secunderabad.

Army career

Khanduri served in Corps of Engineers,Indian Army from 1954 to 1990 i.e. 36 years. Some of the important positions served by him in the Indian Army were as follows: 

• Commander of Regiment (during the Indo-Pak war in 1971).

• Chief Engineer in the Army.

• Commander of an Engineering Brigade.

• Additional Military Secretary at Army Headquarters.

• Additional Director General in the Engineer-in-Chief's  division at the Army Headquarters.

In 1982, he received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) from the President of India for his extraordinary contribution to the Indian Army.

          After his retirement,  he made his entry into mainstream politics and joined the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).

Political career

He had shown patriotism during freedom struggle as a student and, thus, displayed a remarkable political consciousness even at an early age. Khanduri was first elected to Lok Sabha from Garhwal in Uttarakhand 1991 and in subsequent elections. He was the Minister of State (with independent charge) of the Road, Transport and Highways Ministry from 2000 to 2003 in the central government headed by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was elevated to cabinet rank in 2003, and held the post until the end of the tenure of the NDA government  in May 2004. He is a senior leader of Bhartiya Janata Party, having served on various parliamentary committees. As a minister, he implemented BJP's prestigious National Highways Development project with efficiency and speed. As the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Khanduri executed the high-status National Highways Development Plan of the NDA with competence and swiftness. In fact, Khanduri gave shape to the Golden Quadrilateral Project connecting the major Indian cities and metropolises through road. The existence of large network of national highways bears the testimony to Khanduri’s execution of the Golden Quadrilateral project.

          In February 2007, he led the BJP to victory in assembly elections in Uttarakhand and was subsequently chosen to be the new Chief Minister of the state.  Among Khanduri's first accomplishments as Chief Minister has been to cut expenses by reducing his own security and as well as of politicians and administrative officials, cutting back on their allowance for foreign trips and has restricted the use of the Chief Minister's discretionary fund to the projects approved by the district magistrates. Following his election, he toured the entire state to gain the first hand information about the conditions of the people. 

          He is a prominent leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party and has been a member of the different committees of the Lok Sabha.The following key positions and portfolios that were held by Khanduri:  

• Member of Parliament from the Garhwal Lok Sabha Constituency in 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th Lok Sabha.
• During 1992-97 : he was member of the National Executive, Bhartiya Janata Party.
• From 1992-97: Vice President of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

• During 12th and 13th Lok Sabha: chief whip of Bhartiya Janata Party in the Parliament.
• During 1998 – 99: member of various parliamentary committees (e.g. Committee on Public Accounts, Rules Committee, Business Advisory Committee, and Committee on Home Affairs).
• In 1999: elected as a Member of the Consultative Committee, Ministry of Defence.
• From 1999-2000: member of the Committee on Public Undertakings.
• During 2000-2001: member of the Committee on Ethics.
• In 2000: member of the Consultative Committee, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• November 7, 2000: portfolio of the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Road Transport and Highways.
• During 2000–2003: member of National Executive, Bhartiya Janata Party.
• During 2007-2009, he served as the fourth Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
• September 11, 2011 onwards : the chief minister of Uttarakhand.
• March 6, 2012 B C Khanduri lost the election from constituency Kotdwar, Uttrakhand.

He also represented Departments of (i) Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, and (ii) Law and Company Affairs.

          He was also convener of the Subcommittee on Personnel Policy of Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) under different capacities.Soon after taking oath again as the chief minister of Uttarakhand for second time on September 11, 2011 B C Khanduri announced setting up of a stronger Lokayukta to check rampant  corruption.

          Recently, the Uttarakhand government approved the draft of a Lokayukta Bill, bringing within its ambit all the ministers, including the chief minister, the MLAs and the government servants including IAS and IPS officers, with a provision of life imprisonment or more severe punishment.

          The eco-friendly and sustainable industrial development of the state is, inter-alia, among the top priorities of Khanduri.

Public image

Khanduri has always been perceived as a man of integrity and honesty. Recently, his image has been enhanced  as he presided over a state government of Uttarakhand which has pushed for the implementation of a strong Lok Ayukta bill (public ombudsman), citizen charter and a transparent transfer policy for state employers. The passage of the Lokayukta bill in Uttarakhand has earned Khanduri praise from Anna Hazare, who has urged the Centre and other states to follow suit. The bill, however, has not been accepted by the Union of India. Presidential approval is pending as of January 15, 2012.

Social activities

Khanduri also had overseen the activities of the Chandra Ballabh Trust, which is an Educational Trust in Garhwal and was initiated by his grandfather in 1917. He is also associated to the following organizations in different capacities, e.g.,

• Poorva Sainik Seva Parishad, Uttar Pradesh.
• Parvatiya Sanskriti Parishad in Dehradun.
• Govind Ballabh Pant Himalaya Environment and Development Committee.
• Wild Life Society of India

He was also the chairperson of the Uttaranchal Pradesh Sangarsh Samiti and has valuable contribution in the formation of new state of Uttarakhand.

2012 Uttarakhand Assembly Elections

On 6 March 2012, BJP lost the majority in Uttarakhand winning 31 seats out of 70. Khanduri too lost his election from Kotdwara constituency. Khanduri tendered his resignation to the governor of Uttarakhand on 7 March 2012.

References

source-wikipedia.com

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_Lok_Sabha
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_Lok_Sabha
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_Lok_Sabha
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Lok_Sabha
• http://cm.uk.gov.in/
• http://uk.gov.in/