PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The leader of opposition in Vidhan Sabha, Yashpal Arya raised the issue of use of force on the agitators demanding better health facilities in Chaukhutia in the house on Tuesday. Raising a point of order, he said that after travelling for more than 375 kilometres the people from Chaukhutia came to Dehradun in support of their demand for better facilities in their health centre. Arya said that the people of the area are on hunger strike for the last 35 days on the issue and when they raise their demand in Dehradun, brutal force is used against them. He said that it is not a crime to demand better health facilities and use of force on such people is a blow to democracy. Arya said that the health services in the mountainous areas of the State are in pathetic condition. He claimed that the specialist doctors are non-existent in the hospitals located in the mountainous areas of the State. In his response, the Parliamentary Affairs minister Subodh Uniyal said that the State government has upgraded the community health centre (CHC) of Chaukhutia to sub district hospital and at present seven doctors are deployed there. He said that the government has also deputed specialist doctors in Chaukhutia and claimed that vested interests are instigating the local people to agitate even though the government has accepted all the demands.
