Trivendra Singh Rawat is the fourth Chief Minister of Uttarakhand after Major General BC Khanduri (Rtd), Ramesh Pokhariyal ‘ Nishank’ and Vijay Bahuguna who originally hails from Pauri district. Apart from them the Pauri district has also produced two Chief Ministers of neighbouirng Uttar Pradesh (UP) Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna and Yogi Adityanath and political heavyweight like Satpal Maharaj but it is interesting to note that despite these stalwarts, the district has lagged far behind in development. Mostly cradled in Northern Himalayas, the Pauri district covers an area of 5230 square kilometers.
The Pauri district is making national headlines these days as both the recently appointed Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand belong to it. Yogi Adityanath the new Chief Minister of UP was Ajay Singh Bisht of Panchur Village of Yamkeshwar block of Pauri before taking Sanyas. Similarly the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat belongs to Khairasain village near Satpuli in Pauri. The people of the district are now hoping that their long neglect would finally be broken and the district would usher in a new era of development.
A similar sentiment had prevailed in the district when Major General Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri (Rtd) became the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand in March 07, 2007. He belonged to the Marganda (Radha Vallabh Puram), a small village situated in the Pauri Tehsil of the district. General Khanduri had contested from Dhumakot constituency of Pauri district for his entry in the State Assembly then. Internal squabbles in BJP resulted in Ramesh Pokhariyal ‘Nishank’ assuming charge as Chief Minister of the State on June 27, 2009. Nishank represented Thalisain constituency of Pauri district. Nishank hails from Pinnani village located in Pauri tehsil of the district. Political compulsion forced the BJP to remove Nishank and reinstate Khanduri as Chief Minister on September 11, 2011. In the assembly elections held next year (2012) Congress Government led by Vijay Bahuguna was installed in the State. Bahuguna who though elected from Sitarganj in Udham Singh Nagar (by -election) belonged to Bughani village located near Srinagar in Pauri district.
It remains to be seen as to how the new Government led by Trivendra Singh Rawat responds to the aspiration of the people of Pauri. Migration is one of the major problems in the district with many villages turning into ghost villages (revenue villages with no population). The scale of migration from the district can be gauged from the fact that it recorded a negative population growth rate of -1.41 percent between 2001 and 2011. The district has very poor health and educational facilities. Out of the total sanctioned 369 posts of doctors as many as 244 are lying vacant in Pauri. The lack of employment opportunities and ever increasing man animal conflict in the district also act as trigger for the migration.
“Pauri not only holds the unique distinction of providing many Chief Ministers to Uttarakhand and UP but many personalities like National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Chief Anil Dhasmana are natives of this district but unfortunately no one has done anything for the district,’’ said Prithvi Pal Singh Aswal of Kotdwar.