U’khand ex-cm to start foot march against drug addiction
OCTOBER RALLY Move seen as an attempt to gain public sympathy in the sting CD case
HARIDWAR: Trying to regain his political base after back to back assembly and parliamentary defeats, former chief minister Harish Rawat will start a foot march in October, route details being charted, to generate awareness and sensitise youth against the ill effects of drug addiction.
The foot march, exact date of which, will be finalised next week, will commence from Harki-pauri in Haridwar and cover various districts of the state. Rawat will travel on foot for four days.
The move is being seen as an attempt by Rawat to reach out to the people and gain sympathy and public support in the sting CD case, which is being investigated by the Central Bureau Of Investigation. The high court is scheduled to hear the case on September 20.
Rawat had faced twin assembly defeats from Haridwar rural and Kichha assembly segments in the 2017 assembly elections and defeat from Nainital in the Parliamentary elections by a margin of 3.39 lakh votes in May 2019.
Rawat lamented that the state BJP government failed to check dengue and liquor addiction in the hill state which is known globally for its natural resources and religious aspects.
“Instead of providing mobile ambulances to hilly areas and far flung plain areas, BJP government is ensuring that liquor is accessible to people through mobile vans. Statehood agitators who laid their lives for the creation of a separate hill state didn’t sacrifice their lives for liquor mobile vans, but for health, development, prosperity and hill identity”, said Rawat, who is also the Congress national general secretary.
On state government bringing legislation to reduce penalties under the amended Motor Vehicle Act, Rawat said the amount is still high compared to the previous MV Act. He suggested that before implementing the amendments with hefty penalties, more awareness and traffic culture sensitisation drives should have been initiated.
Expressing support to a section of saints concerned about the successful hosting of Mahakumbh in Haridwar, scheduled to be held in 2021, Rawat said that Trivendra Singh Rawat government should take a leaf out of the previous Congress government’s hosting of Ardh Kumbh fair in 2016.
“We focused on permanent nature works for Ardh Kumbh, took suggestions from across the party fold, which the current BJP government is neglecting. Not a single major construction work has begun for the Mahakumbh fair, while less than 15 months are left for the mega fair. I am happy to share my experience if state government seeks. More responsibilities should be given to local elected bodies like zila panchayat, municipal corporation for Mahakumbh related works otherwise there are chances of corruption or laxity in the Kumbh projects “Rawat suggested.
On his future political role, Harish Rawat, a five time parliamentarian said that as soon as he gets off the ‘framed’ legal battle (sting case) he will reach out to the public and party leaders for their feedback.
Meanhwhile, BJP district women president, Rita Chamoli termed Rawat’s proposed foot march on anti drugs awareness as a political stunt to divert attention from the sting CD case.
“Indulgence of ex-cm in horse trading of legislators was clearly visible in the sting aired in March 2016.He should first come out clean in this case and also make it clear that why his government has given license to wine distillery in the holy town of Devprayag if he has so much concern about liquor-drug addiction among the youths of the hill state”,chamoli stated.
THE FOOT MARCH, EXACT DATE OF WHICH, WILL BE FINALISED NEXT WEEK, WILL COMMENCE FROM HAR-KI-PAURI AND COVER VARIOUS DISTRICTS OF THE STATE