my uttarakhand news BureauMussoorie, 25 Dec: A heartfelt atmosphere of reverence and remembrance prevailed in Mussoorie on Thursday on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee, the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi paid homage to him by laying a wreath at the statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee installed in Atal Park. Following this, Minister Joshi participated in the second day’s programme of the Mussoorie Winter Carnival, held at Gandhi Chowk, which was especially dedicated to Vajpayee this year.
On this occasion, Minister Ganesh Joshi said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not only a successful politician but also a powerful poet of Hindi literature, a fearless journalist, and an eloquent orator. One of the founders of the Bharatiya Jan Singh, he was a personality in Indian politics who was respected by both the ruling and opposition parties. Minister Joshi said that, during the Kargil War (1999), Atal Bihari Vajpayee prioritised the honour of the martyred soldiers. His historic decision to transport the mortal remains of the martyred soldiers to their native villages with state honours proved to be a milestone in the country’s military history. Along with this, decisions such as allocating gas agencies and petrol pumps to make the families of martyrs self-reliant reflected his sensitive thinking. Minister Joshi said that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana is a symbol of Atal’s foresight, which connected the remote villages of the country to the mainstream of development. He said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s decisive role in the formation of Uttarakhand state can never be forgotten. The long-standing demand for a separate state of Uttarakhand was fulfilled under his leadership. He said that the concept of One Rank One Pension was also a contribution of the late leaders, which gave new strength to the rights of the soldiers. Joshi added that the Bharatiya Janata Party is still working towards nation-building by following the ideals and footsteps of Vajpayee. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is continuously progressing.
Before the programme, Minister Ganesh Joshi held a meeting with district administration and police officials at the Municipal Council office regarding the traffic management in Mussoorie. He instructed that tourists and local residents should not face any inconvenience during the Winter Carnival and New Year celebrations. The minister also directed that strict action be taken against vehicles parked haphazardly and unnecessarily on major roads, including the Mall Road, to ensure smooth traffic flow. Present on the occasion were Municipal Chairperson Meera Saklani, Mandal President Rajat Agarwal, Mohan Petwal, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rahul Kumar, along with several public representatives, officials, and local citizens.
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