While the State Government continues to remain apathetic to the public protest against creation of Bindukhatta municipality, thousands of locals rallied to the municipality office at the Tehsil to oppose the Government decision on Wednesday.Those participating in the protest under the banner of Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Mahasabha stressed that they would not accept the Government’s decision. Meanwhile, the hunger-strike against the decision entered its eighth day in the Tehsil on Wednesday.
Thousands of protesters especially women, rallied from various areas of Bindukhatta to reach the Tehsil in protest against the creation of Bindukhatta municipality. The protesters were raising slogans against Chief Minister Harish Rawat and cabinet minister and local MlA Harish Chandra Durgapal. Addressing the protesters in the Tehsil, the ABKM national secretary Purushottam Sharma alleged that the State Government was working to facilitate the benefit of the land mafia instead of considering the interests of the public. He accused the Chief Minister and the local MlA of duping the farmers of the Bindukhatta area to ensure the benefit of the land mafia.
Farmer leader Bahadur Singh Jangi said, “The farmers of this area will not allow the Government to snatch away their lands. The Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar MP Bhagat Singh Koshyari is misinforming the public by claiming that during his tenure as the State Chief Minister, he had sent a proposal to the Central Government for making Bindukhatta a revenue village,” he alleged. CPI (Ml) leader Rajendra Pratholi said that the protest of the public will continue until the State Government withdraws its decision to create Bindukhatta municipality.