Govt urged to stop benefits to Statehood activists

Strongly objecting to various benefits being sought by people for participating in the Statehood agitation, Statehood activist and Congress State programme in-charge Rajendra Shah has demanded that considering the anomalies in the system, the provision of benefits to selected Statehood activists should be stopped by the State Government. 

Shah has also submitted a letter to Chief Minister Harish Rawat seeking discontinuation of benefits being accorded to identified statehood activists.

Addressing the media, Shah said that job reservation in Government jobs, pensions and other benefits being accorded to Statehood activists were being accorded to about 8,000 identified activists whereas many more had participated in the Statehood movement. 

Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were also formed along with Uttarakhand but the State Governments there neither had accorded Statehood activist status on anyone nor provided special facilities for those who participated in the Statehood movement. “Such decisions have increased discontent among the people in Uttarakhand especially as majority of those deriving benefits are doing so using unfair means while those who had participated selflessly in the movement have not been identified by the State.  Some people aged 30 years and below are now sporting statehood activist identification cards whereas they would have been 10 years old when the movement was at its peak in 1994.

Some people in the past had issued Press releases or statements to newspapers and secured Statehood activist status on the basis of media reports whereas many genuine activists were not reported about in the media continue to face apathy. I am also a statehood activist but had refused in writing in 2003 to enjoy any special benefits on this basis. I have requested the CM to end special facilities being accorded to Statehood activists. If a decision to this effect is not taken soon, I will undertake a day-long fast during the coming budget session of the Assembly,” he said.

Statehood activist and PCC media coordinator Surendra Singh Arya said that Statehood activists were meant to act as a pressure group to raise public interest issues but many people ended up exploiting the status for individual gains. “Reservation for identified statehood activists in government jobs prevents other eligible candidates from securing these jobs. As a statehood activist I find it shameful to encash on the movement. We feel ashamed when we see statehood activists seeking jobs and homes even for their grandsons. We invite all concerned to debate on this issue for the greater good of public and Uttarakhand,” he added.