With the last date for voting in the Dehradun smart city project proposal being extended to March 22, the Doon Resident Welfare Front (DRWF) organised a camp at the court premises at Dehradun where people came out in considerable numbers to vote for their voice.
According to the DRWF, the general sentiment echoed largely against the greenfield development option proposed for developing smart city on the tea garden site. People said that retrofitting was the better option available especially as the public feels that the problems faced by Dehradun need to be rectified with retrofitting of the existing set up being the favoured choice.
The DRWF president Mahesh Bhandari said that the front had taken up the challenge of getting votes polled in favour of retro fitting and would continue doing so till the deadline given. He appealed that option number one of the proposal as prepared by MDDA be given preference to counter the administration's preferred tea estate site.
The secretary of the front, Sujata Paul Maliah expressed thanks to the Dehradun bar association for the support provided by it towards the facilitation of public involvement in the project. She also expressed hope that the people of Dehradun would continue to vote against the proposed execution of the smart city project on tea garden lands as planned by the MDDA. The people should vote in favour of the option of basing the smart city project on the retrofitting method.