Politicians, bureaucrats busy in statehood celebrations, common man continue to suffer in hills
Politicians, bureaucrats busy in statehood celebrations, common man continue to suffer in hills
B.D. Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Nov 10
As the celebrations of for the 25th anniversary of statehood of Uttarakhand continued during the week with Prime Minister Narendra Modi patronising the state BJP leadership of the state on November 9, the harsh realities facing the common people also continued unabated.
On the celebration day, a 53 year’s old villager, Prem Singh of Serghatiya village of Bangapani sub-division died after he fell from a trolley, that has been installed there after the bridge was washed away due to over flow of river, years ago. “Had the bridge been constructed there, Prem Singh would be alive today,” said Vikram Singh Bathyal, Gram Pradhan of Tanga, near the accident spot.
Even after 25 years of statehood of Uttarakhand, let aside roads even bridges have not been constructed in local rivulets in this remote part of Bangapani area at Indo- China border. “Over 5000 villagers of over 6 villages daily face risk of falling into deep gorges as there are no bridges on local rivulets,” said Vikram Singh.
The locals have said that lack of communication facilities in these remote villages also added to the number of deaths as the news of falling Prem Singh into ditch reached family only after someone saw the body but could not send message as there was no mobile network. “The villages of Tanga, Bindi, Fervekot, Bona, and Tomik are out of mobile network range even today,” said Vikram Singh Bathyal.
In another case of lack of basic facilities in this interior region, two villagers of Matkanda and Makora villages of Lohaghat sub division of Champawat district, had to be carried to hospital on shoulders by youths after they fell into deep gorge in dark as there is no motor road to these villages. “We, the villagers of Matkanta, Bakora and Marthapla are compelled to travel on tracks for over 2 hours to reach nearest roadhead, over 100 persons have so far been injured due to falling into deep gorges in absence of motor road to border village at Indo- Nepal border,” said Ganga Singh, a resident of Matkanta village.
Not only the villagers in remote areas facing inconvenience in traveling to nearest market, but the routine crime could not be controlled till date. In Banbasa region of Champawat district, the local police had arrested 6 youths for possessing over 22 grams of smack. “In order to unearth the drug smuggling racket, we have also recovered 3 bikes, 2 scooty and an amount of Rs 18980 from the possession of smugglers,” said Vandana Verma, circle officer of Banbasa police.
The state PWD which looks after the Tanakpur to Pithoragarh National Highway, could not till date find a solution of frequent blockage of strategically significant NH due to landslides, part of Chardham project, at Swala danger zone which remain closed almost entire monsoon this year. “We will have to propose an alternative road from Swala via Bastiyagunth to Diyuri and for that a new 10.30 km long portion will have to cut,” said N.C. Tamta, a National Highway engineer.
The cyber extortion crimes are also on increase in this interior part of the state as Almora police on 8th November arrested a 21 years old youth on charges of exporting a sum of Rs 24.79 lakhs from an old person in the month of May this year. “It took seven months to track the culprit,” said Devendra Pincha, SSP, Almora.
