Dehradun, Sept. 23 -- Uttarakhand chief secretary Anand Bardhan on Monday directed officials to prepare a comprehensive action plan to provide air connectivity to all district headquarters and major tourist destinations in the state. He stressed that clear timelines should be set for each stage of the plan and progress monitored regularly. Bardhan was reviewing the points highlighted in the 2024-25 budget speech at the Secretariat on Monday. He said departments must present time-bound strategies to achieve the goals outlined by the finance minister during the budget session. The chief secretary asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to expedite the renovation of unsafe bridges and trolleys still in use across the state. "Wherever trolleys are operational, permanent bridges must be built at the earliest. Even privately operated trolleys should undergo safety audits, and their compliance with government regulations ensured," he said. He also instructed the PWD to install crash barriers along state roads and submit a detailed work plan with deadlines. In line with the state's digital governance push, Bardhan also sought status reports from all departments on the rollout of the e-office system. He urged speedy adoption of e-office at both department and district levels and instructed the IT Department to accelerate integration efforts. On scientific and employment-oriented initiatives, the chief secretary called for theme-based science and innovation centres in every district. He asked district magistrates to identify suitable land for such centres, beginning with Rudraprayag. Bardhan also directed the development of 13 employment centres into self-employment hubs, to be equipped with libraries, video-conferencing facilities and other resources, with coordination between the Industries and Employment Departments. He also instructed officials to ensure that schools across the state have adequate furniture and that libraries are established at all district headquarters and in towns with populations above 50,000. These libraries, he said, should function on a "society mode" similar to Doon Library to ensure sustainable operation and maintenance. The chief secretary said continuous monitoring and inter-departmental coordination would be crucial in delivering on these targets, many of which are directly linked to commitments made in the state budget earlier....