Due to the persistent efforts of Pauri MlA and adviser to the Chief Minister, Sunder lal Mandrawal, the Uttarakhand Government has cancelled the order for the closure of Pauri Public Works Department Construction division and its shifting to Paubo.
On the instruction of Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Public Works Department secretary Amit Negi has issued a Government order in which the previous GO dated January 15 related to shifting of the PWD Pauri construction division has been cancelled while directing that the present status of the division be maintained as before. This GO was issued by the PWD secretary on Saturday.
MlA Mandrawal had met the CM thrice in this matter and had communicated the annoyance of the local public regarding the decision to shift the divison out of Pauri. Mandrawal had last met the CM on January 28 to discuss the issue with the CM assuring him that the status of the PWD construction division would be maintained as before.
It is pertinent to mention that the local Contractors Association had started its agitation from January 17 demanding cancellation of the order on closure of the construction division in Pauri and its shifting to Paubo. The association’s agitation was supported by different local organisations, locals and the business association of Pauri. While the contractors association had locked the PWD chief engineer office in Pauri, the business association had kept the market closed for a day in protest against the decision to shift the construction division out of Pauri. The contractors association had warned that it would intensify the agitation from February 4 by initiating an indefinite hunger strike.
In view of the strong opposition of the locals and persistent efforts of the Pauri MlA, the Government has now cancelled its previous order. The Government has also made some changes in the working area of the PWD divisions of Srinagar, Pauri and Paubo. In Pauri construction division the Kot block of Srinagar division has been included while Pokhra and Ekeshwar blocks have been included in Paubo division. In the previous order, Ekeshwar and Pokhra blocks had been shifted to Paubo and rest had been handed over to Pauri provincial division.