U’khand: Joshimath Sangharsh Samiti stages dharna in support of its demands
Gopeshwar, Aug 21 (PTI) The Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS)on Monday staged a day-long dharna at the sub-divisional office here in protest against what it termed as “no action on ground” by the Uttarakhand government to fulfil its 11-point charter of demands.
The Samiti’s demands include declaration of the entire Joshimath as a disaster-hit town, scrapping of Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel power project and construction of the Helang-Marwari bypass road, compensation to the affected people and also to those who had given their land to the Army in the past to build its establishment and the removal of homestays from the category of commercial activities.
Making the report of the country’s top scientific institutions on the land-subsidence crisis in Joshimath public is also among their major demands.
The Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti is a group of local activists who first raised the land subsidence issue in the Uttarakhand hill town.
“It is four months since the chief minister agreed to concede our demands but there is still no action on the ground,” Samiti convenor Atul Sati said.
The JBSS also submitted a memorandum addressed to the chief minister to the SDM demanding immediate fulfilment of the demands.
A meeting between Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Samiti representatives had taken place on April 8.
“The chief minister agreed to all our demands following which we decided to temporarily call off our agitation, which had been going on for months. Four months have passed since but no action is visible on ground,” Sati said.
People are worried about the safety of the town as the scientific study report on land subsidence has not been made public, he said.
JBSS spokesman Kamal Raturi said it was decided to mount pressure on the state government for fulfilling the Samiti’s 11-point charter of demands.
The state government has also been asked to appoint a panel giving representation to JBSS activists to keep a watch on steps for saving and rebuilding Joshimath, he said.
