Sunday, 16 July 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara has questioned the absence of cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj when the State is suffering from a disaster triggered by incessant rains and floods. Interacting with the media persons at Congress Bhawan on Saturday, Mahara said that Maharaj holds the crucial portfolios of Public Works Department (PWD), Irrigation and Watershed Management in the State government.
Mahara said that Maharaj is also the minister in charge of Haridwar district which is reeling under the worst floods of the last 50 years but he has not bothered to visit Haridwar yet. Continuing his attack on the minister, the PCC president said that it is not the first time when Maharaj is conspicuous by his absence. He recalled that Maharaj, who also holds the portfolio of religious affairs, was absent when the Char Dham Yatra commenced this year.
Mahara said that the rains and flood have so far claimed 27 lives and damaged property worth hundreds of crores of rupees in the State but the State government is reacting very slowly. Mahara claimed that the CM visited Haridwar after he went there and met the flood affected people. He said that the people of Haridwar complained that this time the administration issued no warning about the flood. Mahara said that more than 500 roads in the State are closed at present. Expressing deep concern on the safety of the bridges, the PCC president said that 29 bridges have collapsed in the last six years. He said that the safety audit conducted by the State administration after the collapse of Raipur Bridge in Dehradun had listed 36 bridges in the unsafe category.
“ The government should reply as to what action it has taken on the report of the safety audit and what it has done for the collapsed bridges,’’ he said. The PCC president claimed that the government has constructed no new bridges and has only made temporary arrangements where the bridges collapsed.
