On the final day of campaigning, Union Minister Uma Bharti tried to lure the people of Uttarakhand, saying that the State is unique in its heavenly beauty. “I am saying this after I travelled over 80 countries. The beauty of Uttarakhand is unparalleled. This is the reason why the State has tremendous tourism potential. What is needed is smart packaging. If you elect the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would take care of the packaging and it would do marvel as far as development of the State is concerned,” she said while addressing a Press conference in Dehradun on Monday.
Speaking about Namami Gange, she said, over the last 30 years, the Centre had spent `4,000 crore on cleansing the holy river. “But the reality is that Ganga remains polluted as it was 30 years ago. To better things, we have banned releasing of even treated water into the river which is why the project has got a bit delayed,” she said. She added in the same breath that some people are still dumping untreated water, due to lack of monitoring.
Quizzed on the alleged step- brotherly treatment from the Centre with the government here being helmed by the Congress, the BJP leader said that things were so when the Congress-led UPA government was at the Centre. “Now, the Centre being helmed by the NDA, the scenario has undergone a sea- change with the Centre giving all the States their dues without any political discrimination,” Bharti said.
Taking a dig at the Congress, she said such discriminatory treatment on political grounds being inherent in Congress, the BJP strove to go for a different course of binding all the States in a common bond of development, connecting the rivers coursing through several states. “People can hardly forget that the UPA government cancelled the coal allocation to States ruled by parties other than the Congress,” she said.
Projecting herself as pro- Uttarakhand, she said that when the Char Dham road projects were being given the final shape, the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had asked her to convene the meeting. “This is because of he being aware of my good connect with the people of Uttarakahnd and my passion for the State. A Congress MlA told me that with the proposed road bypassing Joshimath, the place would suffer. I took the initiative to ensure one- way traffic through Joshimath. However, now Congress is blaming us saying that it is wrong,” she said.
Speaking about the Pollution Control Board, she said that she was aware of board officials not executing their duties properly. “I contacted the Ministry after which I was empowered to look into the matter that is the section 5 of the Environment Act,” the Union minister said.
Queried about her ministry banning rafting which attracts tourists, boosting employment, while striving to promote tourism in the State, she clarified that they had put a blanket ban on rafting altogether. “But we must see to it that the human waste is not dumped in the river. We have asked the companies controlling rafting to ensure that it does not happen,” she said.