Verification drive along U’khand border soon

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government will soon start verifying antecedents of people staying in five districts that share border with Nepal and China, government spokesperson and minister Madan Kaushik said on Saturday.

“Antecedents of all those staying in border districts will be verified. It will help clarify whether they are bona fide citizens of this country or not or are staying there in connection with their business or jobs,” he told Hindustan Times.

Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Champavat and Udham Singh Nagar are the five border districts.

His comment comes days after two Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leaders took up the issue of outsiders staying in border areas in a meeting with chief minister Trivedra Singh Rawat.

During the meeting, RSS general secretaries Dattatreya Hosbale and Krishna Gopal expressed concern over the increasing number of outsiders settling in border areas.

Kaushik though denied that the state government’s decision to check the antecedents of those staying in border areas was prompted by the advice of the two RSS general secretaries.

Sangh insiders said the issue was taken up with Rawat because as per its (RSS) report the recent years witnessed a 13% increase in the number of outsiders settled in the border districts.

“Our leaders suggested that the identity of those staying in border districts is closely scrutinised at the level of the district magistrates,” said RSS prant pracharak for Uttarakhand Yuddh Vir Singh.

“The issue was taken up with him (Rawat) because the rising number of outsiders staying in areas along the sensitive international frontiers is a matter of concern for everybody.”

RSS state unit general secretary Dinesh Semwal said the suggestion for a verification of the antecedents of people staying in border areas was made so that intruders among them could be identified.

Sangh leaders also took up with the chief minister the issue of Kedarpuri, a residential area planned in the Kedarnath, the shrine town that was ravaged by the 3013 flash floods, Singh said.

“He (CM) was urged to expedite the construction of Kedarpuri because the site where it has been planned is safer compared to the old Kedarnath town that was struck by the floods.”

Sangh leaders also suggested that the state government provide residential facilities to members of a nomadic tribe believed to be the descendents of Maharana Pratap, the great warrior king of Mewar.

RSS prant pracharak Singh said Rawat assured the Sangh that the process of identifying the members of the nomadic tribe had been initiated.