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R B Singh
LUCKNOW, Sept 21: The stage is set for the Kalyan Singh Government to introduce in the Assembly tomorrow the amended UP Reorganisation Bill 1998 on Uttaranchal excluding Hardwar. The decision to exclude Hardwar was taken at a meeting of the State Cabinet on Saturday. The Bill will be approved by the Assembly on September 23, the last day of the special session called for the purpose.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a whip to its legislators regarding the Bill. The whip, issued by BJP's chief whip Ramkumar Verma has asked the party MLAs to be present in the House and vote in favour of the Bill.
The proposal the Centre had sent to the State had included Hardwar in Uttaranchal. It was on the pressure of its allies, the Loktantrik Congress Party and the Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party that the Kalyan Government excluded Hardwar but not before holding talks with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home Minister L K Advani.
Uttaranchal development minister Ramesh Pokhrial had opposed theexclusion of Hardwar. But the ministers and the BJP MLAs of Uttaranchal will go by the Cabinet decision and approve the Bill.
In a related development, Samajwadi Party MLA from the hill areas Munna Singh Chauhan today revolted against his party on the Udham Singh Nagar and Hardwar issues.
It may be mentioned here that the SP has decided to oppose the Bill in the House.
Chauhan told newsmen that at the Legislative Party meeting on September 17 he had urged the party leadership to change its stand and fight for the inclusion of U S Nagar and Hardwar in Uttaranchal, but to no avail.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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