Seemingly dejected with National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, rejecting the state government-envisaged Bhagirathi Zone Master Plan project, purportedly meant to pump development in the riparian areas, Chief Minister Harish Rawat would stage a dharna in Delhi on January 5. The venue of the sit-in is, however, yet to decided, though the probable site is either Jantar Mantar or the headquarters of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. This aside, the CM would raise the issues of the ban imposed by the Centre on the supply of wheat for the APl category people and the proposed sell-off of IDPl by the Centre. The CM is likely to rake up the matter of the closure of the HMT factory in Udham Singh Nagar, throwing many jobless.
While talking to the media on Monday, CM said that these instances would suffice to make clear the non-federal and hostile approach of the BJP- led NDA regime towards the state. “Being ardent votaries of democracy, we have been left with no other option but to stage sit-in in the national capital to draw the attention of the Centre as well as the people of the country to the pitiable plight the Centre has landed us in,” he said.
Taking potshots at the BJP, he said that they are indulging in double standards- luring the people of the state while dangling flamboyant projects and, on the other, robbing the state of the avenues of development. “For instance, they are sitting on the hydro- power projects, imperatives for the state, citing environment. When we revise things and place environment-friendly smaller ones they are still in the denial mode. The Prime Minister is insisting on taking care of the hill state’s waters and youth. But by sitting on the hydro power projects, the Centre is allowing the water of the state go waste when this can be harnessed to tide over the power scarcity and to give jobs to the youth,” he said.
Raising the issue of the ban slapped on the supply of wheat for the APl category people, he said it would aggravate the problem faced by the weaker section. “Besides, the imprudent plan to sell off IDPl is fraught with grave danger for the state,” he said.
Notably, the Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar had written a letter to CM on December 26, 2014, mentioning the restrictions put on the hydropower projects falling under the Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) notification. He had further written that his ministry in consultation with the ministry of water resources was proposing minor amendments in the notification, fuelling hope in the state for some clearances. However, consideration of small hydro power projects in this extremely fragile region did not figure in the amendments that came off later. However, the Union minister had affirmed that the notification in no way would hamper developmental aspirations and livelihood options of the local people.