The Pauri Contractors’ Association, Public Works Department, staged stir against Pauri Public Works Department’s construction division being shifted from Pauri to Paubo. The MlA Srinagar Garhwal Ganesh Godiyal was burnt in his effigy during the agitation near collectorate premises on Monday. The association activists said the MlA is instrumental in shifting the division from here.
The contractors’ association served a memorandum to the Uttarakhand Chief Minister through the administration. In it, the CM was requested to stop the shift. The association has started its agitation through relay hunger strike in the Pauri construction division PWD premises on Monday. Giving ultimatum to the State Government, the association said if their demand is not met by 22 January they will intensify stir by taking recourse to full-blown hunger strike.
They would discuss their future course of action at a meeting slated for Wednesday in Ramlila Ground at Pauri. Different organisations have been invited to it. The association members alleged that the decision to shift was taken by way of a conspiracy hatched against the district headquarters Pauri. Pauri is being neglected since Uttarakhand came up in 2000. Pauri is losing its sheen since.
Dalbir Singh Negi, the association spokesperson, said the Cabinet had taken the decision to shift the construction division PWD Pauri to Paubo and to close the Pauri division altogether of 15 January. The Government can open a new division in Paubo, but to shift the Pauri construction division to Paubo is inimical to the interests of Pauri.
Negi further said that the people of Pauri and adjoining areas will not brook it and if the Government sticks to its stance a movement would ensue to make it change.