PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Suraj Sewa Dal (SSD) raised a series of governance, employment and infrastructure concerns on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled arrival in Dehradun on Tuesday, urging that the visit be used to address key public issues affecting Uttarakhand.
Addressing the media, SSD State president Ramesh Joshi said that the PM’s visit should highlight the ground realities rather than remain a purely political event. He alleged that excessive focus on publicity had diverted attention from public grievances, contributing to growing dissatisfaction among citizens. Joshi raised concerns over the investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case, alleging that the victim’s family has yet to receive full justice. Highlighting migration trends from hill districts, he said that the continued outmigration reflects gaps in policy implementation and the limited impact of interventions by the State agencies. He reiterated the demand to declare Gairsain as permanent State capital, alleging that the issue has remained unresolved despite public sentiment.
Joshi also flagged environmental concerns linked to alleged irregularities under the Namami Gange programme and claimed illegal mining activities were affecting the ecological balance in parts of the state.
He further raised issues related to infrastructure including poor road conditions, adding that disaster preparedness mechanisms remain inadequate despite Uttarakhand’s vulnerability to natural hazards. The organisation demanded implementation of a strong Jan Lokpal law to improve accountability and called for AIIMS-level healthcare institutions in both the Garhwal and Kumaon regions to strengthen tertiary medical services.
Joshi also expressed concern over rising unemployment and the increasing number of liquor outlets, pubs and bars, which he alleged were affecting youth and social conditions.
