The leader of opposition in Vidhan Sabha, Ajay Bhatt, said that that the Cabinet Minister Dr Harak Singh Rawat should immediately submit his resignation from Vidhan Sabha membership as he is holding the post of profit.
He also demanded Uttarakhand Chief Minister's resignation on the moral grounds. While addressing media persons at a press conference held in Dehradun on Friday, Bhatt said that Dr Harak Singh Rawat had to finally vacate the post of chairman of the Uttarakhand Seeds and Terai Development Corporation (USTDC) as the BJP raised the issue not only in Vidhan Sabha but also brought into the notice of Uttarakhand Governor, Dr Aziz Qureshi.
He lamented that the State Government had tired to save the minister who was on the verge of losing his membership of the House for holding the post of profits. Bhatt highlighted that the party will also question on the appointment of Dr Rawat on the post of chairman of Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Nigam limited (UPNl).
He cleared that the party is also planning to move to the court over the appointment of Dr Rawat on the post of office of profit, if he fails to submit his resignation himself in the near future.
"The party is busy collecting details for his appointment on the post of chairman UPNl," he said, adding that Party will raise this issue further on every platform. Bhatt lamented that instead of carrying development activities in the state, the Congress-led State Government is busy in protecting Dr Rawat.
He reiterated that the appointment of Dr Rawat on the post of office of profit is completely unconstitutional.
‘Cong rule complete failure’
After terming the Congress-rule in Uttarakhand as complete failure, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that Dhari Devi temple should not be shifted from the site of hydro power project as it has huge religious sentiments among the residents of the State.
Addressing to the media at BJP State party office on Friday, Dr Nishank said that the State Government should send a team of engineers to Sagar Dam in Madya Pradesh to study the reservoir structure for saving the temple. He urged the state government to introduce potent steps not to shift temple from its original site in order to protect the sentiments of the residents.
"An assurance was given to the residents that temple will not be shifted from its original site of 200 megawatt Alaknanda project during BJP regime in the state," he said, adding that nodal agency has been trying to shift the Dhari Devi temple from its original site near Srinagar town where the project is coming up at the river Alaknanda, a major tributary of the river Ganga, for enhancing the project's capacity from 200 megawatt to 330 megawatt.
The nodal agency responsible for constructing the project was earlier also instructed to seek fresh environment clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). He lamented that that villagers in the hill region are opposing the decision of the authorities to shift the Mata Dhari Devi shrine to a higher altitude.
The decision was taken in order to save it from getting submerged in the Alaknanda when the work on 330 MW hydropower project begins. He said that the decision is facing opposition ever since the news of shifting of the revered shrine of Mata Dhari Devi, situated on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway, 19 km from Srinagar town in Pauri Garhwal, has broke out in the region. Dr Nishank cleared that the BJP will oppose the decision and will start statewide agitation in the coming days. After expressing concern over the issue Dr Nishank said that irrespective of the fact that Uttarakhand has huge potential for the power generation through its state run hydro power projects, the regular load shedding has been following in the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand in order to meet with the growing demand of electricity in the state.
Former MP Balraj Passi, Mahender Bhatt, PS Dhyani, Mukesh Mahendra were also present.