Dehradun, June 27
Chakrata Road is the most vulnerable part of the town in this monsoon season. The remaining parts of the shops and houses which were demolished on the stretch of 300 metres to widen the road up to 24 metres are likely to crumble any time. Besides this, many of the buildings have been declared dilapidated by the district administration and were supposed to be razed to the ground. But they are standing fragile on both sides of the road.

Just two hours of rain a day before led to the falling down of a mobile tower from a building. Several bricks from the broken tower came tumbling down on Chakrata Road. The shopkeepers of the area are living under terrible fear of collapse of any of the buildings, which may also claim human lives. The way

many parts of the city witnessed disaster following heavy rain yesterday, their fear is understandable.

The panels of the buildings are lying exposed. The big slabs are hanging loose on the buildings, which may crumble with the slightest movement. The brick structures have fallen apart. The premises has developed huge cracks.

Most of the shopkeepers have done some temporary construction in the remaining parts so that they could run their business till the issues related to the registry of their shops could be settled. Some small timers have not even felt the need for construction and have begun their business under the broken buildings. The entire scene is quite scary, keeping the vulnerability of the fragile buildings.

Out of the proposed six lanes, only two lanes have been built, that too partially. The rest of the space has been taken up by the public for parking purpose on it's own sweet will. The road is once again

crammed up with vehicles in front of these makeshift shops. The area is undoubtedly one of the busiest because this road not only links up to the rest of the city on the other side but also leads to other states.

The sea of human lives criss-crossing through this road, lined up with highly fragile structures, indeed, presents an alarming situation. But the government departments who are associated with the widening process seem unaware of this grim reality, perhaps waiting for a big catastrophe to occur.

District Magistrate Ravinath Raman said he had directed the PWD to inform him about a time-bound action plan with regard to the dilapidated structures. Vice-Chairman, Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority, RM Sundaram, expressed helplessness in removing the remaining parts of the buildings unless the project of construction of six-storey building on Chakrata Road was cleared. It means the people using this Chakrata Road stretch have to depend on divine intervention for the safety of their lives in the coming monsoons this year.

Dehradun, June 27
The contrarian compulsions of power are at play in the run up to the upcoming Sitarganj byelection with some leaders in the BJP and even the Congress hoping to benefit from the victory of BJP candidate and former Speaker Prakash Pant.

Almost in the wilderness after losing from the Pithoragarh seat in the 2012 Assembly election, Pant is keen to regain the lost ground. Pitted against Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Congress candidate Vijay Bahuguna, Pant is making all efforts to ensure his victory in the byelection.

Various forces within the Congress and the BJP are keen to see Pant win the Sitarganj seat and no surprise that even some Congress leaders are helping him, though covertly.

BJP Uttarakhand general secretary Suresh Joshi, who was unhappy with the party leadership for denying him ticket from Pithoragarh for the 2012 Assembly elections, also wished Pant to win from Sitarganj. Pant, who was then a Cabinet minister in the BJP government, was given ticket from Pithoragarh. Miffed at the attitude of the senior BJP leadership, Joshi had then barely campaigned for him in the Assembly elections.

However, with Pant now contesting the byelection from Sitarganj, Joshi is once again in the vanguard of campaigning. “Political compulsions have forced him to wholeheartedly campaign for Pant in the byelection. Joshi will benefit from Pant’s victory, as then his chances of getting ticket from Pithoragarh in the next Assembly elections will firm up,” said a senior BJP leader.

However, Pant’s challenge to Bahuguna has not gone unnoticed by Congress leaders, especially sitting MLA from Pithoragarh Mayukh Mahar. Mahar will be a relieved man if Pant emerges victorious, as his seat will then remain unchallenged in the next Assembly elections as well. “Political leaders take a long term view of their prospects and Mayukh Mahar’s interest will be better served if Pant wins from Sitarganj. Mahar will then emerge as an undisputed leader from Pithoragarh and can safely claim the seat in the next Assembly elections as well,” said a Congress leader. The poll results of Sitarganj will be a litmus test for Pant. A win or loss here will decide his political career. “If he wins, he will become a hero, a giant killer and the BJP then would have avenged BC Khanduri’s defeat at the hands of Congress leader and Cabinet minister Surender Singh Negi in the last Assembly elections. Besides, the BJP has done exceptionally well in the Terai region of the state in the 2012 Assembly elections,” said Uttarakhand BJP president BS Chufal.

Pithoragarh, June 27
The BJP has said the Congress government in Uttarakhand has cheated the Bengali community of Sitarganj on the issue of land ownership rights, as it could not grant land rights without the nod of the state Assembly.

BJP candidate Prakash Pant told to this correspondent on the phone from Sitarganj that if any state government wanted to give ownership rights to lease holders under the Government Grant Act of 1895, it would have to pass a law in the state Assembly. The Government Grants Act was a Central Act and the state government could only make laws on it with the permission of the state Assembly. “Instead the government has merely issued an order in this connection only to cheat the Bengali community, which has been demanding genuine land rights,” he said.

“Not only is the state government required to take permission of the state Assembly on the issue, but also it will have to amend Section 131 of the Zamindari Abolition Act of 1950 before regularising the lease grants, as the use of land granted only for agriculture purpose have been changed by lease holders by building houses on it,” said Pant.

Pant added the state government amended its own order of May 30 to grant ownership rights to the Bengali community over the leased land in the order of June 3 which stated that the decision would be ratified by the state Assembly.

“Therefore, it has become a case of complete cheating by the government, which is in a hurry to win the Sitarganj byelection by hook or crook,” said Pant.

On the other side, Uttarakhand Congress president and Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya denied the charge levelled by the BJP and said the state government had taken due advice from experts before issuing the order on land ownership rights. “Experts have said the state government has the authority to give ownership rights on land leased under the Government Grants Act 1895 without taking the nod of the Assembly,” said Arya.