Decisions by Dhami government regarding issues related to Pithoragarh bring mixed feelings
Decisions by Dhami government regarding issues related to Pithoragarh bring mixed feelings
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Dec 5
Uttarakhand Congress party has taken the recent decision taken by Uttarakhand state government led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, regarding Pithoragarh district with a pinch of salt and called these measures as mere gimmicks aimed at Lok Sabha elections of 2024.
The Uttarakhand state government at its’ cabinet meeting held on December 4, 2023 had decided to sanction a total of 923 medical posts for the upcoming Pithoragarh Medical College. Besides, the cabinet nod to 923 posts for medical college, a team of private airline officers have also been sent by state government to find viability to fly 42 seater aircrafts from Naini- Saini airport of Pithoragarh in near futuret.
“A team of Alliance airlines has reached Pithoragarh airport to study feasibility of running air services from here. if they find it suitable, a trial run of 42 seater aircraft will be done before giving it final nod for regular air services from here, ” said Reena Joshi, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh.
“We welcome the decision, as it happened after our 12 days agitation at district collectorate last month, but it will be considered real only after receiving sanction from finance department,” said Mayukh Mahar, Congress MLA who led the agitation in support of demands of Pithoragarh by Congress workers in front of the District collectorate office. The dharna was called off on November 12 on the assurance by Chief Minister that all the demands would be met soon.
“After sanctioning of medical posts, we also expect resuming of air services from Pithoragarh as our agitation was for both the demands,” said the Congress MLA.
As a substitute of the proposed medical college in Pithoragarh, to be constructed at Chandak region, Pithoragarh Base Hospital, was constructed near the town with a total cost of Rs 63 crore in Lunthura village but due to non-availability of medical staff, the Base Hospital was not in position to provide specialised medical facilities to patients who reach here from remote part of district and neighbouring Nepal.
“They have installed seven dialysis units and a CT scan machine in Base Hospital, without specialised medical staff, that could not meet the aim to providing higher medical services to poor patients,” said Mahendra Lunthi, a senior Congress leader of pithoragarh.
The political observers are looking at the acceptance of demands of Pithoragarh by BJP state government as an attempt towards not to create any discontentment in Pithoragarh before parliamentary elections scheduled next year.
” If Dhami government could continue this confidence of people till parliamentary elections next year, the anti-incumbency wave will slow down in Pithoragarh part of Almora parliamentary constituency as air services and higher medical services have been main issues affecting the people in four assembly segments of the district,” said L.L. Verma, a retired political science professor.
BJP workers celebrated the decision by bursting crackers and distributing sweets in their party office, while Congress workers claimed that it was a result of their 12 day long agitation.
