After nursing its wounds for a couple of months following the crushing defeat in the Assembly election, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, the only regional political party of the State, is now gearing up to make its present felt in the political arena of the State. Its leaders said that the party is all set to embark on membership drive in all the 70 constituencies of the State. “We would wait for six months to allow the new Government to rise to the promises it rolled out during the campaigning.
If it is found wanting we would start our political campaign against the ruling party after that period is over,” said the UKD president Diwakar Bhatt. He also asked the Centre and the State Government to make public the survey report involving the railway track laying projects being taken up both in the Kumaon and Garhwal hills. He also slammed the State Government on the new excise policy unveiled by the latter, saying that it is running roughshod over the collective sentiments of the people, particularly the women of the state.
“We are particularly concerned over the rehabilitation of the disaster- affected villages in Kedar valley. The process is far from complete despite the boast of successive governments on this count. Besides, the migration of the villagers to the towns and cities is continuing unabated despite the new government painting a rosy picture of the future,” Bhatt said.
In course of the central executive meeting of the party held in Haridwar on Sunday, several resolutions were passed. Addressing a press conference after the meeting was over, Bhatt further said that they had firmed up a programme to add five thousand members in each of the 70 constituencies in the next six months. “There is no longer any difference among the top leaders. We are united,” he said.
While welcoming the Centre’s initiative to lay railway tracks in the hilly areas of both Garhwal and Kumaon divisions, he said that the survey report involving these projects must be made public to ensure that transparency is maintained. “Maintaining transparency is important as a large swathe of the forest, revenue and private lands will be acquired under this project. The Government must also quantify how many villages will be displaced and about the measures it is going to take to rehabilitate the villagers who would be affected,” he said.
“State having a limited land mass, rehabilitating the people of close to 332 villages is a daunting task. Things must be made clear for the people as thousands of them are likely to be affected,” UKD Chief said.