By Sunil Sonker
Mussoorie, 26 Feb: Uttarakhand BJP Yuva Morcha State Secretary and Advocate Aryan Dev Uniyal, speaking out about the housing and transportation problems in the Mussoorie area, said today that development is meaningful only when it makes life easier for the common citizen.
He met MDDA Vice President Banshidhar Tiwari and demanded a practical and humanitarian approach to the construction of small housing units in Mussoorie, planned colonies for the economically weaker sections, and proper provision of pocket parking. Advocate Uniyal said that many local families in Mussoorie, who legally own small land holdings, are unable to build even a simple two-room house within the legal framework. “The procedures are so complex that the common citizen feels uncomfortable in his own city. A simple, clear, and practical policy for small landowners is the need of the hour,” he said. He believes that rules should be strictly enforced, but they should also be in the best interests of the public. He said that low-income families working in Mussoorie are increasingly deprived of decent housing due to rising land prices. “The MDDA should implement a well-planned housing scheme for the economically weaker sections, ensuring basic amenities like roads, drinking water, electricity, and drainage. This is not just a question of development, but of social justice.” Expressing concern over the traffic situation, the BJP Yuva Morcha leader said that unplanned parking is becoming a major problem in the tourist town of Mussoorie. He suggested developing small pocket parking spaces on private and government land. “If well-organised pocket parking is created at designated locations, traffic will be smooth, chaos in the markets will be reduced, and tourism will also be promoted.”
Uniyal urged the MDDA to consider all these issues on a priority basis and take concrete action. He said that Mussoorie’s development should be balanced, equitable, and in the public interest, so that the interests of both local citizens and tourists are protected.
