The action taken by Dehradun Regional Transport Office (RTO) against the Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli for using a red-beacon on his official car has elicited strong opposition not only from the Mayor but also from the BJP which has alleged that such action is a result of the Congress not winning any mayoral seat in the recent local bodies’ elections.
The six Mayors of various towns in Uttarakhand are now slated to meet in Dehradun on Monday to discuss issues pertaining to their official rights and protocol and later leader of Opposition Ajay Bhatt will lead a delegation which will call upon Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in the evening.
Talking to The Pioneer, Chamoli said that on the one hand the State Government states that it wants to empower urban local bodies but on the other hand, its action send a different message. He has returned the official vehicle to the State stressing that he will not use any facility which he is not entitled to use.
“The additional regional transport officer does not have the authority to penalise the Mayor. I did not start the practice of sporting a red-beacon atop my official car. The Congress Mayor Manorama Sharma Dobriyal had started this practice when the Congress was in power in Uttarakhand. The State did not do anything against this practice then but now all of a sudden they find this objectionable,” he said.
The Dehradun Mayor further said that all the Mayors of various cities in Uttarakhand will discuss issues related to their rights and protocol on Monday afternoon after which Ajay Bhatt will lead a delegation which will call upon the CM in the evening.