Dehra Dun : Chief minister Vijay Bahuguna taking the issue of migration from the villages close to the Chinese border in Uttarakhand seriously, said that all efforts would be made to ensure that the villagers do not leave their hearth and homes and remain at their ancestral villages.
It may be mentioned here that Uttarakhand shares an almost 350 kms border with China and there have been occasions when there have been incursions by the Chinese troops who in the sparsely populated area, which has triggered panic attacks amongst the locals.
The chief minister said that the state government was aware of the fact that after the June 16-17 tragedy, a number of villages were literally with the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, as they lived in constant fear of the villages sinking.
He admitted that the devastation of June 16-17 had sent shivers down the spine of villages that had been on the list to be rehabilitated for quite some time, but could not be rehabilitated for one reason or the other. “This fear is can be seen spreading, as more and more people seem to be migrating from the villages in the disaster prone areas”, he claimed.
Bahuguna said that to prevent the migration from the villages close to the China and Nepal border because of fear or other reasons, the government had decided to take special steps to restire the confidence of the villagers in staying put.
“For this the government plans focusing upon improving the road connectivity, communication facilities, tackling the environment concerns of the region and also other measures which will improve the over all; standards at these places”, he claimed.
A journalist with over 40 years of experience, Jagdish Bhatt was Editor, Hill Post (Uttarakhand).
Jagdish had worked with India’s leading English dailies, which include Times of India, Indian Express, Pioneer and several other reputed publications. A highly acclaimed journalist, he was a recipient of many awards
Jagdish Bhatt, aged 72, breathed his last on 28th August 2021 at his Dehradun residence.
