Friday, 09 June 2023 | Gajendra Singh Negi | Dehradun
TSR versus TSR
The high pitch to which the former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has taken his political activities in recent days has made his detractors within the saffron party alert. Roaming in political wilderness ever since he was asked by the BJP high command to step down in March 2021 to pave the way for coronation (albeit for a short period of time) of another TSR (Tirath Singh Rawat), Trivendra is eager to make a comeback at the political centrestage. His recent visit to New Delhi where he met the party’s senior leaders followed by the party’s decision to hand over the responsibility of five Lok Sabha constituencies of politically crucial Uttar Pradesh for the mega outreach programme suggest that the BJP has some plans in store for him. Trivendra is learnt to have conveyed his willingness to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha election from either Garhwal or Haridwar which rings a warning bell for Tirath Singh Rawat, the sitting MP from Garhwal. Tirath’s predicament is understandable since in both instances, he is in a lose-lose situation. A ticket to Trivendra from Haridwar could make the party shift Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, the sitting MP from Haridwar, to Garhwal while Trivendra’s selection for Garhwal would mean the end of the electoral road for Teerath.
New Chakrata
In tune with its high-quality town planning skills and other expertise, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government has entrusted the task of developing and building the New Chakrata township in Dehradun district with the Mussoorie- Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA). The denizens of Doon would vouch for the proficiency of MDDA which in the last couple of decades has transformed a lush green valley famous for its Basmati rice fields, tea estates and orchards of juicy litchis into a concrete jungle best described as an urban mess. The government should send the students of urban planning to visit Dehradun city to understand what should not be done while developing a township. After the decision of the State Cabinet to hand over the task of building a New Chakrata township to the MDDA, the mood in the office of the development authority is upbeat. Having invincible faith in their abilities, the babus of the authority are now confident that they would develop the area which covers 40 villages of serene Chakrata on the lines of Dehradun.
Doughty duo
The exuberance of youth is clearly on display in the functioning of the Health department of the Himalayan State. The young duo- the minister Dhan Singh Rawat and Secretary R Rajesh Kumar- is putting efforts to revamp the department plagued by multiple issues ranging from shortage of staff and equipment to the static mindset of its employees. The verve of the minister was on display when he kept giving directions to the departments headed by him while remaining engaged in the high- octane electoral battle in the southern State of Karnataka where he was sent on election duty by the BJP last month. Later the officers of the department felt a tad relieved as the energetic secretary had gone on one month’s training leave at LBSNAA, Mussoorie. However, the perky officer hit the ground immediately after his return to duty with a whirlwind tour of the Kumaon region. Here while inspecting the district hospital of Nainital, he gave a severe dressing down to the officers concerned on finding discrepancies in functioning of the hospital. Interestingly, the staffers of the minister and secretary duo also match their bosses with agility, circulating their decisions and actions promptly.
