Accusing the Congress-led State Government of failure to mitigate the hardships of the people affected due to natural calamity in the State, Ex-Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has demanded White Paper on the mishandling of the relief operation by the State Government.
At the same time, after visiting many disaster hit parts of the Kumaon region, Nishank here on Thursday also reiterated the demand for president rule in the state, saying this State Government has not right to continue in office after its failure to reach out to the victims.The State Government is totally insensitive towards the victims who have lost their dear ones in this calamity. Instead of camping in disaster affected areas, the Government representatives including the ministers are conducting aerial survey, Nishank alleged.
The matter of concern is that many parts in Pithorgarh’s Dharchula and Munsyari regions and other parts of the State are still cut off. These areas still remain neglected. How can the people do without basic infrastructure which they have already lost in the natural atastrophe.
That is why we have demanded a white paper. Only then it will be clear how has the State Government failed in disaster management.
It is total disaster mismanagement what the Congress led Government has done so far in the name of disaster management, further alleged the former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
It is quite concerning to know that the State Government is still clueless about total loss of life and property that the hill State has suffered in this devastation. That only shows how serious is this State Government about rebuilding of life of victims of the natural calamity, Nishank further said.
The matter of fact is that the State Government doesn’t have any vision or policy for the State. The previous BJP Government was for a separate policy for Himalayan states like Uttarakhand. But whatever steps we took during our tenure in the Government, have now taken a back seat, he added.
Similarly, this State Government had no proper arrangements for managing the important Chardham Yatra. There was no arrangement for basic services like essential commodities, health, safety and security on the Chardham route. Had such arrangements put in place, perhaps loss of life and properties could have been minimised.
It is quite surprising to know that the State Government was not aware about the seriousness of what we have suffered on the Chardham route and elsewhere. Had the army been called in a bit earlier, we believe more lives could have been saved, Nishank said.