A political row over the situation in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath town erupted on Monday after the Congress hit out at the ruling BJP in the state for ignoring a report prohibiting huge constructions and demanded that the land subsidence in the area be declared a “national disaster”.
Hitting back, state minister Subodh Uniyal said the Congress should stop politicising the matter and instead help the local residents and state government.
“Protect nature. The whole country is worried and is with the people of Joshimath, where unbridled development has created cracks in Uttarakhand’s ‘Devsthal’ (holy site)...The Joshimath tragedy should be declared a national calamity,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.
Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged the state government ignored a 1976 Mishra Committee Report that prohibited big construction projects in the area.
“In 1976, a similar situation arose and the Congress was in power and the Mishra committee had directed to not indulge in any big project in the area considering the sensitivity of the area. The Mishra commission report was adhered to by several governments that followed but the current government must not have even heard this commission’s name, especially the Prime Minister’s office,” he said.
Reacting to the allegations, Uniyal said: “The Congress should not politicise the matter and help the locals and state government. I admit there has been a delay in taking action but our government has now acted and officials have been deputed ward wise. The affected families are being shifted to safer locations.”
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to the allegations, Uniyal said: “The Congress should not politicise the matter and help the locals and state government. I admit there has been a delay in taking action but our government has now acted and officials have been deputed ward wise. The affected families are being shifted to safer locations.”
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