leader of Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, Ajay Bhatt has strongly condemned police action against locals on Nainisar in Almora protesting against the allotment of their land for an international residential school on Thursday.

Bhatt has also alleged that Chief Minister Harish Rawat inaugurating the said school amid heavy police presence in the face of opposition of the locals shows that he has a vested interest in this case.

In a statement released to the media on Thursday, Bhatt has questioned the purportedly hurried allotment of 350 nali land at Nainisar without cabinet approval for the international school. He states, "Following strong opposition of the locals, I also received a memorandum after which I also strongly opposed the decision. If the State Government is really concerned about the welfare of the public and if the villagers stand to benefit from allotment of their land for the international school in Nainisar, why was are transformed almost into a garrison before the CM's arrivalIJ This shows that the State Government clearly knows that it will have to face the opposition of villagers and residents of the area for allotting the land without their consent to the group. Despite strong objections being raised by the villagers, local public representatives and myself, the chief minister unveiled the foundation stone for this international school amid heavy police presence," added the leader of opposition in the State Assembly.

Bhatt further said that the villagers are not going to enjoy any benefit resulting from the allotment of 350 nali land to a particular group at Nainisar. It would have been better if the State Government implemented schemes for unemployed youth and women in this area instead. He stated that the cane charge by the police on villagers and local public representatives protesting against the allotment of land at Nainisar is deplorable. The public was misinformed, had its land snatched away and faced cane charge on protesting. He further alleged that the Congress led State Government in Uttarakhand was favouring the mafia while remaining apathetic to the people of the State and their issues. The distress of the public will be raised strongly in the next Vidhan Sabha session, stressed the leader of opposition in the Assembly.