Uttarakhand minister wants highway shut for her cycle rally to spread Modi’s message

State minister Rekha Arya plans to lead a rally of 500 cyclists from Dehradun to Haridwar to raise awareness for a campaign to educate girls

A minister in the Uttarakhand government plans to force one of the most important highways in the region to shut down for several hours this month when she will lead a cycle rally from Dehradun to Haridwar, 55 kilometres away.

Uttarakhand women and child development minister Rekha Arya trains for her 55-km cycle rally. (HT photo)

Rekha Arya, the Uttarakhand minister of state (MoS) for women empowerment and child development, has begun trailing for the ‘marathon’ task, which is being organised on September 17 to raise awareness on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign.

“Dehradun-Haridwar highway is the main road connecting Garhwal and Kumaon, plus there are industrial units along it. It will be quite difficult to carry out traffic diversion as the route receives very heavy traffic load every day,” a police official said, wishing not to be named.

“The rally may lead to acute traffic hold-ups on the busy route.”

But Arya is unfazed. “When the police can do it for the annual Kanwar Mela, why not for this rally? They will have do it (traffic diversion)…they just want to reduce their workload,” Arya told HT, adding that the rally participants will “follow traffic rules”. She said the rally may have around 500 participants.

Dehradun superintendent of police (traffic) Dhirendra Gunjyal, said the police will “make arrangements for the rally according to instructions received from the higher authorities”.