By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 6 Jan: The Dehradun Citizens’ Forum (DCF) released its ‘Green Agenda’ on Monday for the upcoming municipal elections in the state. The agenda includes 18 key points, including the demand to implement all subjects listed in the 12th Schedule of the Constitution and to formulate a dedicated municipal law for Uttarakhand. Political parties have been urged to draft an Uttarakhand Urban Vision Document and include these points in their manifestos.
During a press conference held at the Press Club, here, DCF unveiled the Green Agenda. Speaking on the occasion, DCF member Jagmohan Mehdiratta emphasised that it is time for mayors and councillors to think beyond basic issues like roads and sanitation. The Green Agenda has been designed to outline the direction for this progress. He also announced that the forum would soon organise a “Mayor Dialogue” event, inviting mayoral candidates from Dehradun to discuss the agenda.
DCF member Anoop Nautiyal read out the 18-point Green Agenda, stressing the need for political parties to release a Green Manifesto for the entire state, along with separate manifestos for each city.
Anoop Badola stated that the Green Agenda would not only be shared with political parties but also with social, trade, and other non-governmental organisations, bar associations, and activist groups to encourage broader discussions on this vital document. Bharti Jain added that, in the next phase, DCF would draft a charter of demands specifically for mayoral candidates in Dehradun.
Other speakers at the press conference included Ashish Garg, Monty Kohli, Jaya Singh, and Paramjeet Singh Kakkar.
The Green Agenda highlights several priorities, including drafting and regularly monitoring an Uttarakhand Urban Vision 2025 Manifesto, organising regular training for elected representatives, resolving the capital city issue, initiating a structured process for human resource development, forming ward committees, ensuring public participation in urban planning and implementation, developing spatial plans, addressing waste management issues, creating a solid action plan to combat climate change challenges, and improving traffic, parking, and public transport systems.
The document also emphasises efforts to maintain environmental balance to mitigate the effects of climate change. It calls for achieving sustainable development goals, protecting rivers and forests in and around the city, and drafting a dedicated municipal law for Uttarakhand. Currently, municipal bodies in Uttarakhand operate under laws inherited from Uttar Pradesh, which do not cater to the state’s unique geographical conditions and needs. The Green Agenda also insists on implementing the 18 subjects assigned to municipal bodies under the 12th Schedule of the Constitution.
DCF announced its intention to share the Green Agenda with all political parties and social organisations in the coming days. A separate agenda is being prepared for Dehradun’s mayoral candidates. Following this, a dialogue will be organised to gather candidates’ opinions on the Green Agenda.
DCF members Florence Pandhi, Anish Lal, Sudhir Vadhera, Pramod Kukreti, Ira Chauhan, Himanshu Arora, Sanjeev Srivastava, Swati Negi, SD Uniyal, Gopal Sharma, Ramanna, Sandeep Bijlwan, Trilochan Bhatt, Jitendra Anthwal, and others were present at the press conference.
