Angry U’khand HC calls state govt ‘stone-hearted’

NAINITAL: Uttarakhand high court (HC) on Friday expressing anger over the non-implementation of its order of November 11 last year -- in which the court had directed the state to implement various measures related to the Kedarnath tragedy -- termed the state government as ‘stone-hearted’ and ‘insensitive.’ The judges got outraged when it was revealed by the petitioner that no work has yet been done on the directions.
The court had directed constituting five teams to locate the missing and the dead of the tragedy, to perform their last rites appropriately, to find out the children who were rendered orphans and to take all necessary steps for their rehabilitation including their boarding and lodging as well as free education up to post-graduation level.
The court had also directed to provide a stipend of Rs 7,500 per month to the orphans till they attained the age of majority and had added that the chief secretary of the state “shall be personally responsible to execute the order in letter and spirit.” It had also asked the government to put restrictions on mass tourism in eco-sensitive zones by preparing a ‘national code’ for tourists and pilgrims on the lines of the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra and to install advanced warning systems in Char Dham areas.
Terming the attitude of the state government as ‘callous’, the division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Alok Singh asked the government to “show sensitivity in the matter.” “It was expected at least from the chief secretary to comply with the orders of the court punctually and obediently to maintain the rule of law,” the judges said.
The court subsequently asked the government counsel to file an affidavit by December 18 about steps being taken to implement its order and also appointed two advocates as amicus curiae (friends of the court) to assist in the case.
Reacting to the court’s directions, Ajay Gautam, the petitioner in the case, told TOI, “The last skeletons of the Kedarnath tragedy were found on May 20 this year four years after the tragedy. This shows the casual and unplanned approach of the state government towards victims of the tragedy. The officials should at least think about relatives of those people who are still hopeful of finding out about their loved ones.”