Former MlA and former head of the Uttarakhand slum development committee, Rajkumar has alleged that though the previous State Government had decided to accord ownership rights to slum dwellers, the current Government has stalled this process. He said that the present State Government had stalled various developmental works initiated by the previous State Government.
Addressing the media at the Congress Bhawan, Rajkumar said that necessary measures for executing the decision on ownership rights to slum dwellers should not be stalled but taken without further delay by the State Government. He said that the residents of recognised slums have been paying house tax to the municipal corporation since 1992. However, about three years ago, the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun discontinued the collection of house tax from here. Presently, the slum dwellers are also being made to fill an affidavit and a form in order to pay their house tax which is not right as their names are already in the MCD index register. Such measures are affecting their duration of residence which will in turn affect them when they try to secure various certificates from the authorities. He further said that the previous state government led by the Congress had approved re-development of Indira Market on public private partnership mode in the interests of the businessmen and a government order to this effect had also been issued.
The work had been initiated on this re-development project by the previous State Government but after assuming office, the Bharatiya Janata Party State Government has stalled work on this important project. Work on this project should be resumed without further delay, stressed Rajkumar. Citing the problems being faced by citizens due to irregularity and other issues with the potable water supply, he demanded necessary measures to address the problems and ensure regular supply of clean drinking water.
The roads dug up for laying sewer lines had not been repaired which is causing mishaps and inconvenience to the public. Such roads should be repaired without any further delay.
Regarding the strike by sanitation workers, he said that their demands should be considered sympathetically and a solution to the strike should be reached soon to prevent serious deterioration of the civic sanitation in the provisional State capital.