Due to the sacrifices made by freedom-fighters from Salt, this area came to be known as the Bardoli on Kumaon, said Chief Minister Harish Rawat on the weekend while paying tributes to those from Khumad in Salt who laid down their lives for the nation’s independence.
Speaking on the occasion at Salt, the CM said that during the freedom movement in 1942, the nationalists in Salt had organised public meets condemning policies of the imperial Government and had also declared independence. On September 1, 1942, the police working on orders of the imperial Government fired at the non-violent protesters at Khumad killing two brothers Ganga Ram and Khimanand on the spot. Two more persons- Chudamani and Bahadur Singh Mahar died four days later while five persons- Ganga Datt Shastri, Madhusudan, Gopal Singh, Bache Singh and Narayan Singh had sustained bullet injuries.
The CM said that cows had been distributed to 558 women as part of the Ganga-Gai Mahila Dairy Yojana aimed at making women of the State self reliant. On the occasion the CM unveiled the foundation for various development works costing `8742.42 lakh and inaugurated completed works costing `111 lakh.
The CM unveiled foundation stone for works including new construction of the Udi Mahadev-Sailapani-Bhikiyasain-Marchula motor road costing `556 lakh, construction of Anganwadi centres costing `44.90 lakh in Devayal, Nainwalpali, Kunidhar, Chamkana Adho and Bhairangkhal villages, construction of Anganwadi centres costing `35.92 lakh in Barkinda, Panuvaghokhan, Kunhil and Sainamanur villages, construction of link road costing `339.93 lakh from Sauli inter college to Salt Maithani, construction of motor rorad at a cost of `465.58 lakh from Bajkhet to Dhaiyya Kichar via Talla Kusiyachaun, construction of motor road at a cost of `242.83 lakh from Srinagar to Talla Ujrada via Malla Ujrada, construction of rural motor road costing `227.03 lakh from Ikukhet to Juniyagaon and various other works.
The CM also inaugurated the community health centre, Devalay building constructed at a cost of `111 lakh.
Various public representatives and local residents were among those present on the occasion.