Villagers remind leaders of unfulfilled poll promises

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 28

With the state Assembly elections fast approaching, people are asking their public representatives about the tall promises they have made in the last five years but never came back to fulfil them.

Residents of Lumti village in Dharchula, the Assembly constituency represented by Chief Minister Harish Rawat, today reached Dharchula and demonstrated against the shortage of teachers in Khunti Intermediate College. They said ever since the college was upgraded on the orders of the Chief Minister it had been facing a shortage of teachers for intermediate classes. “Besides a shortage of teachers, the college building is in a dilapidated condition, posing a threat to the lives of over 165 students,” said Man Singh, manager of the school committee.

Traders of Dharchula, who supported protesting Khunti villagers, said due to the negligent attitude of the government the future of the students in this remote region was getting spoiled. “We have given a memorandum to the SDM for the District Magistrate and the Chief Minister to fulfil the demands within 15 days or they will start an indefinite agitation,” said villagers.

Residents of Chamachaur village in Gangolihat subdivision of the district today protested at the district headquarters in support of their demand for construction of a road from the famous Cave Temple of Patal Bhubaneswar to Chaakhuna via Chamachaura village to link the remote regions of Gangolihat and Pithoragarh. They said they had boycotted the last Assembly elections over the same demand. “We suspended our agitation following an assurance by the district administration that the work on the road would be started soon but even after 45 days nothing has been done,” said Diwakar Rawal, who led the demonstrators.

The villagers said if the road is constructed residents of Nanishitla, Daula, Simayal, Bhul ki Adhyali, Chukhuna and Chamachaura villages of Gangolihat and Pithoragarh subdivisions would be benefited. “We will boycott the Assembly elections next year if we do not get justice,” said Rawal.