After cornering the Congress-led State Government for lackadaisical behaviour for redressing the grievances faced by those villagers, who are living in the mountainous parts of Uttarakhand, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Major General (Retd) BC Khanduri lamented that the Union and State Governments have failed on all fronts.
He said that lives of thousands of villagers and pilgrims would have been easily saved if the State Government had initiated action to stop pilgrimage after State meteorological department forecast, two days ahead of the devastation that rocked entire State.
While addressing the mediapersons in a press conference held in Dehradun on Tuesday, Gen Khanduri lamented that the Congress-led State Government has not taken any effective steps for redressing the grievances being faced by those villagers who are living in the fringe parts of the disaster affected districts of the State. He said that those who are living in the remote areas of the State are still waiting for relief materials from the State Government.
Khanduri lamented that despite the fact that more than one month has passed since the devastation took place in the State, the State Government has not taken any concrete steps for reopening the blocked roads in the hilly areas of the State. After cornering the Union Government for not sanctioning funds to BRO for carrying repairing works along the Char Dham Yatra route, Khanduri said that the Government has sanctioned only Rs300 crore despite the fact the estimation of the work was already
submitted to the State Government, a year ago.
“The condition of the roads could be easily gauzed by the fact the vehicular flow of vehicles along Char Dham Yatra route has not resumed even after more than one month had passed,” he, said, adding that the Union and State Government is completely responsible for the poor condition of roads in Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Pauri districts of the Garhwal division of Uttarakhand.
According to him, the Union Government is allotting wheat and rice at the rate of Rs4.15 and Rs5.65 respectively to Uttar Pradesh whereas Uttarakhand receives at the cost of Rs20 and Rs26 for wheat and rice, despite the fact the State had bear the brunt of natural calamities. He also urged from the State Government to supply ample amount of food grains to mountainous areas and to bridge the gap between demand and supply of kerosene in the disaster hit areas of the State. Khanduri also demanded the immidiate issue of Government order focusing the relaxing the norms for sanctioning compensation to the displaced villagers.
Cong rejects ex-CM’s charges
Uttarakhand PCC spokesperson Shilpi Arora has categorically rejected the allegation of ex-CM Maj Gen (retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri and alleged that BJP is doing politics on
disaster. She said, “BJP itself does not have coordination with its party leaders and now they are making allegation against the Congress led State Government.
For instance Ex-CM Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had demanded that Uttarakhand Government should be terminated with immediate effect. Now Gen Khanduri is making baseless allegation against the State Government,” she said.
She made it clear that State Government is working very hard and doesn’t need anyone’s certificate. She further said that in this hour BJP should have extended support to the State but they have been making allegation to get sheer political mileage.
State Government first priority to provide ration in disaster affected areas and re-open the blocked route. Talking about the workshop she said that we have learnt lot in it and getting prepared for upcoming mission-2014. Now we are planning how we can educate the people about the Congress led State and UPA Government achievement through media.