Chief Minister Harish Rawat said in Haridwar on Tuesday that the people must vote for Congress in Zila Panchayat polls, with the party working hard to bring about development for the people.
“The welfare of the people of the district with focus on developing Haridwar is always uppermost in our minds.Such resolve would never flag,” he said. He came to pay respect to the Nirmal Panchayati Akhara seer who passed away on Sunday at Kankhal.
Hitting out at BSP, he said that the rural polls would prove a litmus test for the progress made at Zila Panchayat level by the party with BJP as its presidential candidate.
“Give us a chance and we would prove how the Panchayat should be run, bringing about development of a place,” he said.
Taking a swipe at BSP’s Anjum Begam whose husband was allegedly caught with black money worth crores at Bareilly by the police, he said the Congress presidential candidate will act on the developmental policies envisaged by the party.
Regarding infrastructural development meant for the upcoming Ardh Kumbh Mela, CM said they would not give in to any adversity as far as the successful completion of the religious congregation is concerned.
“We would not hesitate to take loan to implement all the projects required for the smooth conduct of the Mela. We have proved how resolved we are on the matter by constructing seven bridges with funds arranged at the state level,” he said, adding that despite `700 crores being given by the Centre ahead of Ardh Kumbh Mela 2004, many of the proposed infrastructural works had not been undertaken then.
Regarding the Matri Sadan founder Swami Shivanand resorting to fasting off and on, protesting against illegal quarrying of the Ganga riverbeds, CM struck a reconciliatory note, saying that he, for one, is always inclined to bow down before the saints. “ Swami Shivanand of Matri Sadan is no exception as I hold him in high reverence,” he said.
However, in the same breath, he said that mining is needed for development. “To save Ganga, it should be curbed though. But I am in favour of quarrying being done in a scientific way,” he said, leaving things equivocal on the emotive matter .
He further said that sand and boulders are being mined from Ganga riverbed by stealth. “The State Government is taking action against them and the stone crushers involved in illegal mining have been stopped,” CM added.