– Served Indian Army, Corps of Engineers, 1954-1990; (i) Commander of an Engineer Regiment during Indo-Pak War, 1971 in Samba Sector; (ii) Commander of an Engineer Brigade, Meerut, (Uttar Pradesh), (iii) Chief Engineer, Siliguri Zone (West Bengal); and (iv) Deputy and Additional Military Secretary, Military Secretary’s Branch, Army Headquarters, New Delhi; conferred Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) by the President of India for distinguished services in the Indian Army, 1982; Patron, Parvatiya Sanskriti Parishad, Dehradun, 1990-93; Founder President: (i) Poorva Sainik Seva Parishad,Uttar Pradesh, 1992-2000; and (ii) Uttaranchal Pradesh Sangarsh Samiti, 1994-96; Member, Wild Life Society of India, 1990-2000; Member, G.B. Pant Himalaya Environment and Development Committee, 1998-2000.
– Elected as Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Garhwal Constituency in Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand in 1991, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2014.
– As Minister of Road Transport and National Highways, he was responsible for the National Highways Development Project, involving development and construction of four/six laning of about 13,510 km of road at the cost of over Rs. 54,000 crore (1998-99 prices). This Dream Project of the then Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, included the Golden Quadrilateral (Delhi – Kolkata – Chennai – Mumbai – Delhi circuit) involving 5,846 km at a cost of over Rs. 25,050 crore (1998-99 prices). About 85 per cent of the project was completed by May 2004.
– The Economic Times Newspaper Survey (24 March, 2011) gave 9th rank to Golden Quadrilateral, among the 50 Historic Works of India after Independence (since 1947).
– Placed among the SIX TOP POLITICIANS of the country by The Hindustan Times Newspaper (Jan. 6, 2008) survey for being one of the unsung politicians and real force behind the Golden Quadrilateral Highway Project and change in Uttarakhand governance.
– Judged as the best Chief Minister of India by India Today magazine (18 Feb. 2008), out of 35 Chief Ministers of the Country.
– The 13th Finance Commission headed by Shri Vijay Kelkar, visited Uttarakhand and held meeting from 27 to 29 of January 2009, and awarded Rs. 1000 crore, to Uttarakhand for Good Financial Management for the years 2007-08 and 2008-09, when I was Chief Minister.
– Awarded Mother Teresa International Award for the year 2013 on 16 June 2013
– As Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, credited with bringing and passing in Vidhan Sabha, Uttarakhand, the FIRST strong Lokayukta Act in the country, which was approved by the President of India; Citizen Charter Act; Transfer Act for Government employees and introducing a number of major Administrative and Financial reforms in the State of Uttarakhand. |