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Padma awardees threaten to return awards
Three Padma Shri awardees of Uttarakhand have threatened to return their awards if works on stalled hydropower projects in the State are not resumed.
They have also threatened to sit on a fast unto death if the work is not started by May 20. The Padma Shri awardees, Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) chairperson Avdhash Kaushal and poet Liladhar Jagudi said this while addressing mediapersons in Dehradun. The third awardee supporting them is former Vice-Chancellor of HNB Garhwal Central University AN Purohit.
Jagudi said progress of the State cannot be held to ransom by hunger strikes by sadhus. “If sadhus are so averse to power projects on the Ganga, they should immediately disconnect power supply to ashrams in Haridwar and Rishikesh as that too is generated by hydropower projects,” he added.
If these people were so concerned about pollution in Ganga, they should come forward an take this step. In stead of misleading the public in the name of faith they should try to educate people about tree plantation which shall eventually save the environment,” he said.
He said that the Ganga is polluted more by palatial ashrams on its banks in Haridwar and Rishikesh than in the mountains as more than 50 lakh litres of sewage is drained into the Ganga daily at Haridwar.
“We do not wish to be recipients of Padma Shri awarded by a Government which only listens to some Sadhus and ignores the poor people of Uttarakhand and the need for development here”, he further said.
He further said that they would send a memorandum containing their demands to the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Chief Minister before starting fast unto death on May 20.
Kaushal alleged that the Government is much more worried about the fast undertaken by Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (GD Agrawal) who has nothing to do with Ganga. “Throughout most of his life, he remained a consultant to government tanneries in Kanpur and was played a part in facilitating pollution of the Ganga.” Uttarakhand Jan Manch chief general secretary Rajen Todariya claimed that a large scale agitation would be started if the government does not restart work on stalled hydel projects. The shortage of electricity is among the major factors responsible for lack of development and continued migration of people from the mountainous regions to plains in search of employment, he further averred.
Three Padma Shri awardees of Uttarakhand have threatened to return their awards if works on stalled hydropower projects in the State are not resumed.
They have also threatened to sit on a fast unto death if the work is not started by May 20. The Padma Shri awardees, Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) chairperson Avdhash Kaushal and poet Liladhar Jagudi said this while addressing mediapersons in Dehradun. The third awardee supporting them is former Vice-Chancellor of HNB Garhwal Central University AN Purohit.
Jagudi said progress of the State cannot be held to ransom by hunger strikes by sadhus. “If sadhus are so averse to power projects on the Ganga, they should immediately disconnect power supply to ashrams in Haridwar and Rishikesh as that too is generated by hydropower projects,” he added.
If these people were so concerned about pollution in Ganga, they should come forward an take this step. In stead of misleading the public in the name of faith they should try to educate people about tree plantation which shall eventually save the environment,” he said.
He said that the Ganga is polluted more by palatial ashrams on its banks in Haridwar and Rishikesh than in the mountains as more than 50 lakh litres of sewage is drained into the Ganga daily at Haridwar.
“We do not wish to be recipients of Padma Shri awarded by a Government which only listens to some Sadhus and ignores the poor people of Uttarakhand and the need for development here”, he further said.
He further said that they would send a memorandum containing their demands to the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Chief Minister before starting fast unto death on May 20.
Kaushal alleged that the Government is much more worried about the fast undertaken by Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (GD Agrawal) who has nothing to do with Ganga. “Throughout most of his life, he remained a consultant to government tanneries in Kanpur and was played a part in facilitating pollution of the Ganga.” Uttarakhand Jan Manch chief general secretary Rajen Todariya claimed that a large scale agitation would be started if the government does not restart work on stalled hydel projects. The shortage of electricity is among the major factors responsible for lack of development and continued migration of people from the mountainous regions to plains in search of employment, he further averred.
