U’khand minister wants highway shut for her rally

A minister in the Uttarakhand government plans to force one of the most important highways in the region to be shut down for several hours this month as she leads a cycle rally from Dehradun to Haridwar.

Rekha Arya, the Uttarakhand minister of state for women empowerment and child development, has begun training for the ‘marathon’ task on September 17 to raise awareness on PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. PM’s birthday is on that day.

“Dehradun-Haridwar highway is the main road connecting Garhwal and Kumaon, plus there are industrial units. It will be quite difficult to carry out traffic diversion,” a police official said. “The rally may lead to acute traffic hold-ups.”

But Arya is unfazed. “When the police can do it for the annual Kanwar mela, why not for this rally? They will have do it (traffic diversion)… we just want to reduce their workload,” she told HT.

CM Trivendra Singh Rawat will flag off the rally from Dehradun. Union minister Maneka Gandhi will be at its finish in Haridwar. Dehradun SP (traffic) Dhirendra Gunjyal, said the police will “make arrangements according to instructions from higher authorities”.

NEHA PANT

When the police can do it (close down the highway) for the annual Kanwar mela, why not for this rally?