PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Just days before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s proposed ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Dehradun, the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) has warned that the event could be cancelled if the party fails to obtain mandatory administrative clearances.
Dehradun municipal commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said on Tuesday that the application submitted by the Congress did not mention Rahul Gandhi’s participation and was filed only in the name of the party. “The application received by us does not mention Rahul Gandhi. It was submitted as a Congress party programme. The permission granted by the MCD was conditional and subject to no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the city Magistrate and the police,” Pandey said.
He said that despite repeated reminders, the Congress has not submitted the required NOCs. The Congress claims that over 2.5 lakh participants have registered for the event whereas the venue can accommodate only around 15,000 to 20,000 people. The MCD has repeatedly asked them to submit the mandatory NOCs but they have failed to do so, he said.
Pandey also said that the proposed venue is currently occupied due to an ongoing Central government programme which has been extended till July 17. “The Harela programme is continuing at the venue. Governor lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh and chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami are scheduled to attend an event there on July 16. We have informed the Congress that it can either shift the programme to Bannu Ground or obtain the necessary NOCs for the existing venue,” he said.
Pandey warned that if the Congress fails to secure the required clearances, permission for the event will not be granted and the programme will stand cancelled.
