- Statehood agitationists receive pensions in Mussoorie

By Sunil Sonkar
Mussoorie, 19 Mar: Uttarakhand activists, here, had waited for this day for several years and to their delight, pension cheques were distributed by Chief Guest ‘Rajya Andolankari Samman Parishad‘ Vice-President Ravinder Jugran.
As many as 35 persons identified were presented the cheques at the ‘Kacheri’ premises, here. The activists were delighted at this move of the State Government even after a long delay.
Ravinder Jugran said that identification of statehood Agitationists was a difficult job but the Parishad was diligently working to provide relief to the activists. He also said that people who had not been given Government jobs were entitled to this pension and people who had been left out would also be provided justice.
Jai Prakash Uttrakhandi, Devi Godiyal, Surendra Kaintura, Kedar Singh Chauhan, RK Pant, Maya Ram Semwal, Umesh Vaish, Balwant Rawat, Premchand Aggarwal and Prem Singh Rawat, etc., were the recipients of the cheque.
In the meanwhile, senior BJP leader Radhey Shyam Tayal was critical of his own government regarding the identification process carried out in distributing the cheques. He also alleged that the government was dividing the Uttarakhand activists. He further said that during the Uttarakhand agitation in Mussoorie, 47 persons went to Barielly Jail and were injured by police atrocities and they were given Rs 50,000 as interim relief and, in spite of that, 14 persons did not receive pension. The government claimed that they were excluded because no medical certificate was produced. He asked why activists who had spent 50 days in Bareilly jail were being ignored.