While the State Government claims to be expediting infrastructural development works across the state, the sit-in demonstration and relay hunger strike by villagers in Kaljikhal block entered its 13th day on Sunday in support of their demand for construction of an approved road.
The villagers of Dangi and other adjoining villages of Manyarsyunpatti in Kaljikhal block of Pauri district have been agitating in support of their demand for the construction of the Ghandiyal-Pali-Dangi motor road, which was sanctioned in the year 2016. The annoyed villagers in large numbers burnt the effigy of the state government to protest against the apathetic attitude of the district administration and State Government. local Congress leader Naval Kishore, Congress district president Kameshwar Rana and many others also supported the demand of the villagers at the agitation site. The protesting villagers decided in a meeting that the agitation will be intensified and ten villagers of the villages involved will participate in the sit in demonstration and relay hunger strike from Monday. It was also decided that on May 21, the villagers of the Manyarsyunpatti of the Kaljikhal block will stage protest demonstration in the district headquarter Pauri with a sit-in and hunger strike in collectorate premises on the day.
The agitating villagers are disappointed with the attitude of the State authorities and district administration as a two and half kilometer stretch of Ghandiyal-Pali- Dangi road has not been constructed despite the persistent demand of the villagers of the area for the past eleven years. They allege that the Government has maintained an apathetic towards the demand of the villagers.
The Government is consistently ignoring problems of the villagers while on the other hand talking about how to stop migration from the mountainous regions. Construction of the two and a half kilometre Ghandiyal-Pali- Dangi motor road was sanctioned in the year 2016, but has not been accorded the financial approval so far. During the last assembly election, the villagers of the area had decided to boycott the polls in support of their demand. However, the villagers voted in the assembly polls after the then district magistrate assured them that the road will be constructed under the district plan. Since then no action has been taken by the district administration.
Social worker Jagmohan Dangi said that only the sub divisional magistrate from Pauri has visited the agitation site to communicate with the protesters.
To elicit the attention of the district administration and State Government towards their demand, the villagers of the patti (group of villages) will stage a protest rally in the district headquarter on May 21. For the past ten days senior citizens including 86-year old Sate Singh Negi, 87-year old Jailal Singh and other villagers including Saraswati Devi, Dangi Gram Pradhan Maheshwari Devi and others have been participating in the sit-in and relay hunger strike.