Politics over the ordinance on the slums recently promulgated by the Trivendra Singh Rawat Government is gaining momentum. A few days after the opposition Congress showed its muscles while staging a well-attended rally against the ordinance, dubbing it as a plot to bide time, the ruling BJP has decided to stage Abhar Rally (thanks-giving rally) on August 7 to express the party’s gratitude to the State Government for bringing in the ordinance. The political sabre-rattling over the emotive issue of the slum dwellers has fuelled possibility of its snowballing into a major issue for the upcoming civic body election which is likely to be held in September.
The ruling party gearing up for the rally, a meeting was held at the Mahanagar BJP office in Dehradun on Tuesday. Addressing the meeting, the Mahanagar unit chief, Vinay Goyal said that the State Government has brought the ordinance keeping in mind the humane angle of the matter. He alleged that the Congress is unleashing an environment of confusion regarding the issue. Goyal added that the rally is meant to make the people aware of the Government’s intention on the matter.
The Rajpur MlA Khajan Das said after the meeting was over that many housing projects under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana would be completed by 2020. “Keeping this in view, the State Government has sought a time period of three years on the slum resettlement issue. We are sure that the maximum numbers of the slum dwellers would be accommodated in the houses being built under the ambitious project of the Centre,” he said.
Addressing the meeting, director NHPC, Bhagwati Prasad Makwana said that the State Government has taken a laudable step for providing ownership rights to the people living in the slum areas. “But the Congress is maligning the State Government while goading the slum dwellers against it for sectarian interests,” he said. Cautioning the slum dwellers against being taken for a ride by the opposition party, Makwana said that the slum dwellers should participate in the rally in a large number to make it clear that they are not ready to be used as pawns of the Congress .
An office bearer of State BJP, Sunil Uniyal Gama said that the State Government is committed to development of all, including the slum dwellers. “The Congress during its rule brought about an unplanned development in the city while catering to its policy of populism. BJP, on the other hand, is committed to bring back the old glory to the gasping city. We also keep the humane angle before us while firming up a plan of development,” he added.