The important Haldwani-lalkuan / Haldwani- Bareilly national highways and other roads have turned out to be deathbeds for innocent travellers due to increasing potholes, but surprisingly the Congress-led State Government, every time when a mishap occurs on these national highways, shifts the blame on the officials concerned of the National Highways Authority of India, saying maintenance of these national highways is under the jurisdiction of the Government of India, so it is helpless.
The matter of fact is that three Ministers of Cabinet ranks in the State Government belong to this Terai-Bhabar region of Uttarakhand.
While State Finance Minister and MlA from Haldwani Indira Hridayesh and State Dairy Development Minister and MlA from lalkuan Harish Chandra Durgapal take no time in issuing condolence messages as well as statements shrugging off their responsibilities of maintenance of these highways, State Disaster Management Minister Yashpal Arya, who also belongs to the same Haldwani region, however, remains aloof from these regional issues, no matter how serious the local problem is. Rather, as the locals complain here, being a citizen of this region, Arya is hardly seen nowadays in raising even issues of larger public concern at local level.
However, as soon as a 22-year-old married woman died on the Haldwani-lalkuan-Bareilly national highway near Goraparao (Haldwani) on October 30, State Finance Minister Hridayesh issued a statement and expressed her condolences to the kin of the deceased, adding potholes on the national highways are a matter of serious concern.
But, the MlA from Haldwani and State Finance Minister, added the maintenance of these national highways is with the Government of India.
Therefore, the State Government can't do anything except urging the Centre to improve the conditions of these highways. Yet, the State Government is trying to get the charge of looking after maintenance of these national highways from the Centre, she added. However, the people are here of the view that the Congress has also been in power earlier in the State.
Again, the Congress is presently at the helm of State affairs. "So why has the Congress-led State Government been so negligent about such a major issue of road connectivity," wonders Rakesh Gururani, a native of Haldwani.
The matter of concern is hundreds of people are injured and lose their lives on these roads every year due to these potholes.However, the local representatives think their responsibility is restricted to only issuance of condolence messages, he regrets.
Similarly, State Cabinet Minister Durgapal has not left behind in issuing condolence messages and making a visit of the accident site and to see the 'poor' condition of the said national highway due to potholes soon after the death of the said woman from Goraparao (Haldwani) on the same national highway near Goraparao, Haldwani, on October 30.
Durgapal conducts a visit of the said national highway between Haldwani and lalkuan along with officials from the district administration Nainital and pulled up officials of the national highway authorities for such poor conditions of the national highway, warning them of stern action as per the law if the potholes are not repaired in due course of time. Rajendra S Markuna