BJP leaders meet PM, demand Prez Rule in Uttarakhand

A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Uttarakhand on Monday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded the imposition of President's Rule in the flood-ravaged state on the grounds that the Congress government there had failed to deliver.

The delegation, led by former Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and comprising Tehri Garhwal Member of Parliament Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah among others, met Dr Singh for 30 minutes and apprised him of the situation on the ground in the flood-hit state.

"We informed the prime minister that the government in Uttarakhand had completely failed to deliver during the crisis in the state. We demanded that since the government had failed, President's Rule should be imposed till rescue and relief operations are completed," said Pokhriyal.

The delegation alleged that state ministers and the chief minister were not present in the affected areas to help the stranded people.

The BJP has also demanded a white paper on how many people have died in the disaster, how many are still missing, the number of animals which died and the loss of property.

Pokhriyal said the prime minister had himself asked him to come over and meet him to discuss the issue.

Other suggestions from the delegation included stationing a unit of the National Disaster Management Authority in the state on a permanent basis, installation of Doppler radars to get prior warning of cloud burst and forming a Himalaya Development Authority for the region.

The former chief minister said he broached the issue of declaring the disaster a national calamity but the prime minister assured him there would be no shortcomings in the relief efforts.

"He said he has formed a committee specifically to deal with the crisis and there will be no shortage of funds for relief and rehabilitation," Pokhriyal said.

The BJP leaders also demanded that homes should be provided to the displaced people and adequate arrangements should be made for taking care of orphans.

"Uttarakhand is a border state and the government should ensure that migration from the state does not take place," Pokhriyal said.