In support of their demands, three women statehood activists climbed atop a tree located within the District Collectorate premises on Wednesday, triggering chaos among the district officers.
The administrative officers and police rushed to the site and began persuading the trio to get down while assuring that a meeting with administrative officers or Government representatives would be arranged to have their demands considered. However, they refused to relent. They were still atop the tree even as this report was filed on Wednesday evening.
The statehood activists keep protesting at martyrs’ memorial within Dehradun Collectorate premises over the past many years in support of their demands, ranging from horizontal reservation and pension meant for those who had suffered for the cause of statehood.
The members of the Rajya Andolankari Sangharsh Morcha have been protesting over the past few days, demanding 10 per cent horizontal reservation in State Government jobs for the identified statehood activists.
Three women statehood activists, all from Pauri district, Bhuneshwari Negi, Savitri Negi and Bhuma Rawat, climbed atop the tree. They are demanding reservation for the statehood activists.
However, what is strange is that they were unaware of the State Cabinet having decided to present a Bill on that issue, providing for 10 per cent horizontal reservation in jobs for identified Statehood activists, in the next Assembly session.
This aside, it was also decided that 10 per cent reservation would be provided to identified statehood activists from Uttarakhand Purv Sainik Kalyan Nigam limited (UPNl). Sources said that the Government is considering a pension scheme meant for the statehood activists aged above 60 years.