Dehradun: While the natural disaster is adding to the suffering of the people, the attitude of officials is also infuriating public representatives. Following the recent emergence of a photo of Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi, Congress MLA Harish Dhami has also opened a front against the District Magistrate. He has even called for a breach of privilege motion in the Assembly to punish the officer.
The issue of public representatives not answering calls during the disaster in Uttarakhand has escalated further. Recently, photos of Dehradun District Magistrate Sambin Bansal and Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi were made public, in which the Cabinet Minister was seen reprimanding the District Magistrate. The remarkable thing is that even then, the District Magistrate chose to leave rather than listen to the Cabinet Minister. Now, the issue is not about the ruling minister, but about a Congress MLA who has put his own district’s District Magistrate in the dock.
Congress MLA Harish Dhami was elected to the Assembly from Dharchula. He has leveled serious allegations against the District Magistrate of Pithoragarh and several other administrative officials, demanding disciplinary action against them. He has also written a letter to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chief Minister, accusing District Magistrate Vinod Giri of not answering his phone.
Notably, during the disaster in Dehradun, a conversation between Dehradun District Magistrate Sanvin Bansal and Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi regarding his refusal to answer his phone went viral. This matter was widely discussed, and the video was widely viewed on social media. Although Congress members supported the District Magistrate at the time, a Congress MLA has now leveled similar allegations against the District Magistrate of Pithoragarh.
Harish Dhami, speaking on this issue, said that the public harasses public representatives, not officers, during disaster situations. Therefore, officials should change their attitude. Such officials need to be summoned to the House and punished, so that the concerns of public representatives can be taken seriously. Harish Dhami said he would raise this issue in the Assembly as a breach of privilege.
