PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The padayatra, which started from Kotdwar demanding construction of Laldhang-Chilarkhal Kandi road, arrived in Dehradun on Wednesday. It was led by the senior leaders of the Uttarakhand Swabhiman Morcha, Praveen Thapa and Ram Kandwal. A number of functionaries of the agitating outfit led by its Dehradun in-charge Ramkumar Shankhdhar, welcomed the participants of the padayatra at Dilaram Chowk.
Addressing the gathering, the general secretary of the ex-servicemen cell of the morcha, Rajendra Prasad Bhatt said that though they had staged agitation demanding statehood for Uttarakhand they were now on the path of agitation once again demanding basic facilities like roads and health.
The treasurer of the morcha, Chitrapal Sajwan said that it was a matter of great regret that despite the State having come into existence, the dreams of the statehood agitators remained unfulfilled.
The state spokesperson of the morcha, Pramod Kala, in his address, held the governments run by the national parties responsible for this dismal state of things in the State. “The people have voted for these parties five times but are now being forced to resort to agitation for basic facilities. This is all the more sad as we are now celebrating the silver jubilee of statehood,” he said. He also asked the people to vote thoughtfully in the upcoming elections.
