The people in Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s Dharchula Assembly constituency in Pithoragarh are reported to be dissatisfied by the State Roadways service in the area. The roadways service from the Pithoragarh depot is also stated to be functioning inefficiently due to which many people in the border region of Pithoragarh district are facing inconvenience.
Submitting a memorandum addressed to the Governor, the local BJP members have requested the Governor to direct the State Government to improve Roadways services in the region. According to the BJP district spokesman Jagat Martoliya, the operation of four roadways buses in Dharchula and one in Munsyari have been discontinued.
He said, “The situation is not better elsewhere across Pithoragarh district with 18 roadways buses from the district in need of repairs lying at Tanakpur depot. Fifteen buses of the Pithoragarh depot are being operated under the Tanakpur depot. The Pithoragarh depot used to operate upto 70 buses in the past but the situation at present is such that only about 35 roadways buses are operating in the district.
Buses plying long distance routes from Delhi and Dehradun are being made to take the return trip to Dehradun or Delhi on the day of their arrival here whereas long distance route buses are to be given a day’s rest for fitness. Due to the shortage of roadways buses in Dharchula and elsewhere in the district, the people are being forced to pay higher fares to travel in privately operated vehicles. The Chief Minister has consistently toured Dharchula constituency and this problem has been raised many times with him but no action is being directed by him,” said Martoliya.
He further informed that the post of assistant regional manager is vacant at the Pithoragarh depot which doesn’t event have nuts and washers. Due to unfit state of the buses, these vehicles are experiencing breakdowns in various places. This depot has not received any new bus for three years now. The locals are facing inconvenience due to the state of affairs and are losing faith in Rawat, averred the BJP district spokesman. He further said the announcement of free-travel for senior citizens in roadways buses has proved hollow since there are no such buses for senior citizens to travel in. If the CM continues to ignore the problems of the people in Dharchula, the people will take to the roads in protest, added Martoliya.