Monday, 25 December 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
A large number of people gathered in Dehradun to rally in support for the demands for 1950 as the domicile cut off date and stricter land laws on Sunday. People from various parts of the State and different sections of the society participated in the rally. The Mool Niwas Swambiman Maharally was not organised by a political party but members of various political parties also participated in it.
The people converged at Parade Ground in the morning. The masses rallied past Convent School, SBI Chowk, Buddha Chowk, Government Doon Medical College hospital and Tehsil Chowk to reach the statehood martyrs memorial. People from various districts, members of different political parties and varied professional and social backgrounds participated in the rally. Those attending the rally stated that the government should make 1950 the cut off year for domicile status and implement strict land laws as in the neighbouring State of Himachal Pradesh. They stressed that these measures are needed to ensure that the aims for which the State of Uttarakhand was created are met. The citizens attending the rally opined that the natives of the State are being deprived of their rights to the State’s natural resources- forests, water and land. The lack of clear governmental policy is also depriving many youth of the State from government jobs. In addition to this, they are also demanding stricter land laws in the State to prevent indiscriminate exploitation of the resources.
It is pertinent to mention here that apart from various political parties and outfits extending their support to this rally, folk artistes including noted singer Narendra Singh Negi had also exhorted the people of the State to participate in the rally. In the run up to the rally, the State government took various decisions including the setting up of a drafting committee headed by additional chief secretary Radha Raturi to examine the report of the land laws committee, prepare a draft of the land law and also set the conditions for the domicile certificate.
