No dearth of funds for development of tribal areas, says Himachal CM
After two residents of the Pin valley in Kaza subdivision in lahaul-Spiti district provoked the locals to make pro-China remarks as the Indian Government had failed to address their grievances, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday condemned the incident and said there was no dearth of funds for the tribal areas of the State.
“There is no dearth of funds for the development of the tribal areas of the State,” said Singh, adding that he was pained to know about the Kugri-Sugnam sedition episode, wherein “few disgruntled politicians, who were hand in glove with one or two media person, prompted few people of the Panchayats to issue a statement which was anti-national and uncalled for”.
The Himachal Police on August 25 arrested two residents of the Pin valley on sedition charges for provoking the locals to make pro-China remarks. They had alleged that the Indian Government had failed to address their grievances.
“I condemn the action of such people who highlighted this issue and fuelled it, which is a clear act of treason towards the nation” said the Chief Minister, adding that if need be, suitable action will be taken against those who prompted, instigated and highlighted the issue.
He said that Pin valley, which was on the left bank of Spiti River was well connected with roads and bridges. A Steel bridge at Atargu, on River Spiti, connects the Pin valley to the main highway and the Government had constructed well connected roads up-till Mudh, the last village of the valley.
The Chief Minister said that due to flood in one of the seasonal Kiri nullah, between Atargu and Gulling, a small bridge was washed away, which would be soon reconstructed and the work on it will start in a day or two, as the tender had already been awarded. It will come up at a cost of `1.63 lakh, he said. Besides, a foot bridge, a ropeway had been set up to transport the pea crop, which was the only crop cultivated by the people of the valley.
He said that besides motorable roads, the Pin valley had been provided with schools, health facilities, electricity etc and there was no shortage of funds for the development of all tribal areas of the State.
Chering Tobge, president of Kungri Panchayat, and lobsang Thondup, former president of the Sangam panchayat are currently in judicial custody till September 10 on charges of treason.
The locals say police are reportedly upset over the Government's failure to repair a bridge in the Pin valley that was damaged two years ago. The bridge over the Kirnee rivulet connects at least
12 villages.
“During interrogation, they said they provoked the locals to make pro-China remarks to draw the attention of the (Indian) Government towards their problems,” police said.
The Buddhist-dominated lahaul-Spiti district in the Himalayan terrain, with elevations ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 feet above sea level, shares a porous border with China.
The district has no town and the population is rural, living in 521 villages. The lahaul-Spiti district, spread over 13,835 sq km, is a place of remote, untouched beauty with just 31,528 people.
The climatic conditions of the area are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where the mercury drops below minus 20 degrees Celsius during winter.