Rawat asks slum dwellers to defer thanksgiving rally

As heavy rain pounds the state, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has urged the capital's slum dwellers to postpone their rally to thank the government for sparing them from the court ordered demolition drive.

Asking concerned MLAs to stay put in their constituencies, Rawat said ensuring fast and efficient relief work in the affected areas must take precedence over the felicitation rally.

People are facing a lot of problems due to continuous heavy rain in Dehradun for the last few days, Rawat said.

Right now, our priority should be to provide relief to people rather than organising a felicitation programme, he added.

The BJP government had brought in an ordinance exempting the residents of Malin Bastis (slum dwellers) from the demolition drive being carried out in the city in compliance with a high court order.

The slum dwellers were scheduled to hold an 'Abhaar' (thanksgiving) rally at the Parade Ground here tomorrow to thank the state government.