Garhwal Post Bureau
New Tehri, 5 Jun: Chief Secretary (CS) Anand Bardhan chaired a high-level review meeting at the district collectorate auditorium in New Tehri today. He engaged in detailed and interactive deliberations with local elected representatives and social workers on development works and public grievances. The meeting was reportedly aimed at harmonising the public expectations with administrative priorities and examining the ongoing and proposed interventions across the district.
Opening the discussions, the Chief Secretary directed the district officials that matters resolvable at the local level must be settled at the district level on a priority basis so that citizens receive prompt relief. He placed particular emphasis on ensuring that all the processes related to the Chief Minister’s announcements are completed within the prescribed timeframes, underlining the need for accountability and time-bound delivery.
On this occasion, elected representatives pointed out region-specific needs and development challenges in depth. Tehri MLA Kishore Upadhyay highlighted regional disparities and issues related to expansion of reserved areas, while Dhanaulti MLA Pritam Singh Panwar and Ghansali MLA Shakti Lal Shah pressed for bolstering disaster-management preparedness by ensuring early availability of resources and equipment. They urged pre-positioning of material and strengthening of institutional arrangements to respond to emergencies more effectively.
Devprayag MLA Vinod Kandari sought acceleration of ropeway projects tied to drinking-water supply and tourism promotion, stressing that such projects could both strengthen essential services and enhance visitor access. Jot Singh Bisht stressed upon the need for alternative riverine transport arrangements along riverbanks to improve connectivity. Vinod Suyal drew attention to the mounting pressure and management challenges on the Devprayag–Rishikesh route during the Yatra season, and he called for targeted measures to manage traffic and pilgrims.
Mohan Singh Rawat, chairperson of New Tehri Municipal Council, presented a detailed memorandum to the CS highlighting various problems facing the New Tehri town, seeking administrative support and remedial action. Dayash Dobhal, member of the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee, pressed for regularisation of municipal land in Ghansali and urged vigorous efforts to establish reliable connections for Char Dham pilgrims from New Tehri. Chairpersons of several other urban local bodies from the district described ongoing development activities and local problems in their jurisdictions, drawing attention to civic infrastructure gaps and service delivery concerns.
Municipal authorities from Chamba and Devprayag pointed towards an urgent need to expand the parking facilities to cope with increasing vehicular inflow, particularly during peak seasons, and advocated planned interventions to decongest town centres. Representatives of Ghansali and Chamiyala raised alarms over a rise in wildlife attacks that have impacted farming and livelihoods; they called for strengthened mitigation measures, compensation mechanisms and community awareness programmes to reduce human–wildlife conflict.
Block-level leaders and other public representatives placed drinking water, health, education, road connectivity and wildlife management on the agenda, detailing local constraints and proposing remedial steps.
The Chief Secretary responded with a sensitive outlook, directing concerned departments to take immediate and effective action on these issues and to keep the district administration updated on progress. He asked for coordinated plans that combine short-term relief measures with longer-term solutions, ensuring that responses are both timely and sustainable.
Those present at the meeting included municipal chairpersons Chamba Shobhni, Dhanola, Munikireti, Neelam Vijalwan, Devprayag, Mamta Devi, chairperson of Tapovan municipal council Vinita Bisht, Ghansali, Anand Bisht, Chamiyala, Govind Singh Rana and Lambgaon, Roshan Rangad. Block Chiefs in attendance included Rajiv Kandari (Ghansali), Suman Sajwan (Chamba), Diksha Rana (Narendranagar), Anchala Khandewal (Kirtinagar), Vinod Bisht (Devprayag), Manisha Panwar (Pratappur), Sita Panwar (Jaunpur) and Surendra Bhandari (Thauldhar), along with a cross-section of local representatives and officials from various parts of the district.
