By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 19 Sep: While calamities from the skies worsen the plight of people, the alleged conduct of certain officials is pushing public representatives to the brink. After pictures of Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi in confrontation with District Magistrate Savin Bansal went public, now Congress MLA Harish Singh Dhami has opened a front against the administration, accusing the District Magistrate of Pithoragarh, Vinod Giri Goswami, of ‘failing’ in performance of his duty and has demanded punitive action against him. Dhami has also claimed that he would raise this issue in the House as an issue of breach of privilege.
It may be recalled that, during the recent disaster, legislators complained that officers were not answering phones when public representatives sought help. In Dehradun, a heated exchange between Ganesh Joshi and District Magistrate Bansal was captured in photos and video, in which the minister sought to chastise the officer. However, it needs to be pointed out that Bansal is a highly respected bureaucrat in the state and is known to be a strict and sincere officer with a no nonsense approach. On this occasion, rather than respond, Bansal had reportedly chosen to depart quietly from the scene. Some claim this act to be disregard for elected officials.
But this time, Dhami, who represents Dharchula in Pithoragarh district, has lodged serious allegations against District Magistrate Vinod Giri and other senior administrative officers in his constituency. He has written to the Speaker of the Assembly and to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami demanding disciplinary proceedings on the grounds that Giri repeatedly ignored his phone calls.
Harish Singh Dhami is known in Uttarakhand politics to mince no words. He is a three-time Member of the Legislative Assembly from Dharchula. He won in 2012, vacated his seat in 2014 in favour of former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, was appointed Chairman of Van Vikas Nigam (with rank of Cabinet Minister), and thereafter was re-elected in both 2017 and 2022. He has openly criticised his own party on multiple occasions, including accusing Congress leadership of ignoring merit in organisational appointments, favouring newcomers over seniority, and of neglecting those who have long served the party. On certain occasions, Harish Dhami has also been seen praising the present BJP Government.
Dhami observed that during disaster conditions citizens expect officials to be responsive, not to sideline the elected representatives. He insisted that officers should change their attitude, that those officials who fail their duty be called to the Assembly and punished so that representatives are taken seriously. He stated that he will bring the matter before the House under special privilege rules.
The allegations levelled by Dhami against Vinod Giri include multiple instances of phone calls ignored during emergencies, even when Dhami was flagged as party MLA of the affected district. These claims, if proved, have a potential to lead to disciplinary action as well as reputational damage for administration in Pithoragarh.
The administration has not yet issued any formal response to the allegations. If at all the matter moves to the Assembly under rules of privilege, it will test how bureaucratic accountability is upheld in disaster-management responses.
