Govt to seriously consider expert, party worker Kothiyal’s suggestion: BJP

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun

The Bharatiya Janata Party has clarified that the State government used all possible means for the rescue and relief operation at Dharali in Uttarkashi district. However, since rescue expert senior party worker and position holder colonel (retd) Ajay Kothiyal has raised some points, the party takes these seriously and the government will take necessary action on these. The BJP has also requested the opposition to refrain from any political statements before the facts are fully established.

Interacting with the media at the BJP State office here on Tuesday, MLA and party spokesman Vinod Chamoli said that the party is seriously considering the statements made by Kothiyal on the Dharali disaster, adding that the government will take a decision as required in the matter. “The party is clear that the leadership must take cognisance if a party worker says something. As far as the government is concerned, it has various media to collect figures and information. Whenever a disaster strikes, the first priority is to save the injured and affected persons. Problems are faced in collecting data on those who could unfortunately not be saved. Everybody saw that in the 2013 Kedarnath disaster, the actual number of those who died has not been confirmed so far. Similar problems were faced in Dharali. The dead bodies recovered by rescue teams are the basis of casualty figures and the family members of those missing from the site also provide information. Similarly, information is also received from the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force. The Uttarkashi district administration must definitely be having information from various sources, which must have been used in ascertaining the final figure,” Chamoli said.Citing Kothiyal’s expertise in disaster management and the works after the Kedarnath disaster, Chamoli said that the party leadership will discuss with him about the additional information he has. Responding to statements made by the Congress, he said that it is playing the role of an opposition party. However, any political and social personality must refrain from making statements without fully understanding an issue, he added.