PNS | DEHRADUN
The Congress has cited regularisation of slums, planned development of the cities and increasing green spaces in the urban areas as its priorities in its manifesto ‘Vachan Patra’ for the urban local bodies’ elections in the State. The manifesto was released in Dehradun by the member of Congress Working Committee (CWC) Gurdip Singh Sappal, co-in-charge of State Congress Surendra Sharma and former cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat.
Speaking on the occasion, Sappal said that the dream of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of local government in every city of the country was realised by the Congress government in the form of 74th constitutional amendment. He said that the then Congress government of Uttarakhand had transferred 17 subjects to the urban local bodies. Sappal said that the condition of cities including Dehradun, Nainital and Haridwar has deteriorated in the past 15 years. He said that apart from regularising the slums the Congress will usher in planned development of the cities of the State if elected to power in the civic bodies.
Addressing the programme in a virtual manner the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara said that the Congress party believes that the tourism industry has the potential to develop remote areas of the State and for this the infrastructure facilities of the cities should be of very high quality.
Former chief minister Harish Rawat said that his government had passed the bill for regularisation of the slum areas on August 10, 2016. Former cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat said that large scale corruption occurred in the multi crore smart city project.
In its 26-point manifesto, the Congress promises to work in the direction of a green Uttarakhand, provide potable water to all the urban dwellers, regularisation of slums and creating more parking spaces in the cities. It has also promised to review the taxation system of ULBs, prevent roadside encroachments and develop a better drainage system to get rid of the problem of water logging in the cities.
The mayoral candidate of the party from Dehradun, Virendra Pokhriyal, vice president Suryakant Dhasmana, Dhirendra Pratap, sewa dal president Hema Purohit, NSUI president Vikas Negi, Mahanagar president Jaswinder Singh Gogi, chief spokesperson Garima Dasauni and others attended the programme.
