Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has sought President’s rule in the State accusing the Congress-led State Government of completely failing to redress the grievances of disaster victims despite the fact the more than two months have passed since the disaster hit the State.
He also demanded from the UPA to again deploy the army units in the disaster-hit areas of the State in order to carry relief and rescue operations on the war footing after terming steps taken by the Government machinery are insufficient to provide relief to disaster-hit victims.
While addressing the mediapersons in a press conference held at State party office in Dehradun on Wednesday, Nishank said that Congress-led State Government should immediately issue white paper on the natural disaster that played catastrophe in the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand.
“Residents are curious to know that what was Government machinery doing when the natural calamities struck Uttarakhand in the month of June,” he said, adding that the State Government should also publicise that what steps are taken by the Government machinery for carrying relief and rescue works in the disaster hit areas of the State. After expressing his concern over the issue that connecting roads and routes in the disaster hit areas of the areas are still reported to be blocked for the vehicular flow of traffic, Nishank lamented that villagers are forced to traverse kilometers to fetch for the basic needs.”
It is a matter of concern that 35 NDRF personnel have been deployed in the disaster hit areas to recover the buried bodies,” he reiterated, and further demanded from the UPA and State Government to deploy more number of defence personnel to redress the grievances of the villagers.
After terming that Congress-led State Government lacks vision and mission, Nishank has alleged that State Government has turned insensitive towards the disaster hit victims. He also demanded from the State Government to publicise about the budget sanctioned and spend in the present financial year as according to him, all development activities have come to stall in the last one and half year rule of the Congress in Uttarakhand.
Nishank also demanded from the UPA Government for draft strategic policies for the Uttarakhand as State shares international boundaries with China and Nepal.
Nishank also expressed his concern that private company has been given the responsibility for carrying repair work in the disaster hit areas despite PWD, NHAI, district administration and BRO are fully capable for repairing and reconstructing the roads in the disaster hit areas of the State. Umesh Agarwal, PS Dhyani and Abhimanyu Kumar were also present.