On the third day of the Vidhan Sabha session, several organisations like Uttarakhand Unemployed Homeopathic Pharmacist Diploma Holders’ Union and the Ramganga Sadak Andolan (Marchula to Bhikiyasain) marched up to the Assembly on Wednesday.
Moreover, the members of Uttarakhand Unemployed Homeopathic Pharmacist Diploma Holders’ Union courted arrest in support of their pending demands.
To draw the attention of the State Government, dozens of residents of Salt area (Almora district) under the banner of Ramganga Sadak Andolan (Marchula to Bhikiyasain) took out a rally up to the Vidhan Sabha and demanded construction of 40 km motor road from Marchula to Bhikiyasain in Almora district without delay.
According to the protesters, earlier in 2003, `5 crore was approved for the construction of roads under Ramganga River Valley Road Project. But Public Works Department failed to complete the project. Around 10, 000 people from 65 villages are facing difficulties daily due to poor road connectivity in the region.
The residents of this region are also facing problems on the social front. People from neighbouring villages are reluctant to marry their sons or daughters to those from these villages in the absence of road connectivity. They further said that the residents of these villages had submitted several memorandums earlier to the public representatives, including MlA, MP and political executives. However, nothing has happened on the ground, they added.
They said they have been demanding construction of motorable roads for the past 62 years. However, things have not moved despite changes of regime. Since Uttarakhand was formed in 2000, the files keep on gathering dust in the government’s cupboards.
Anand Nath, one of the protesters, said, “The road project must be completed by December this year. Besides, the Public Works Department, Ranikhet must account for the delay. Things hang in fire for 11 years.” Others like Surendra, Chandan Anand and Balam Singh echoed the same grievances.
The protesters were stopped outside barricade put up at Rispana Bridge by the police and they protesters squatted and kept on demonstrating. later, the agitators submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Harish Rawat through the administrative officer at the barricade outside the Rispana Bridge.
Dozens of pharmacist diploma holders’.union members assembled at the Old Bus Stand (protest site) and carried out rally up to Vidhan Sabha by shouting slogans against the State Health Minister for his alleged failure to address their long-pending demands.
The protesters passed through various localities in the city before they reached the police barricading outside Rispana Bridge. Policemen followed the rally till the protesters reached the barricading to avoid untoward incidents in the State capital.
The police were involved in verbal arguments whey protesters tried to break through the barricading at Rispana Bridge. Their demands include formation of service rules/ manuals and government jobs for the unemployed homeopathic Pharmacist Diploma holders. The protesters courted arrest after they failed to meet the Health Minister.
Others present in the agitation were Rajmohan Negi, Himanshu Thapliyal, Neha Sati, Arvind Kumar, Pramod Semwal, Kailash Chamola, Sachin Ramola, Shrawan Kohli and Deeraj Ramola.