Fresh list of Lal Batti appointments issued, next list on anvil

By Arun Pratap Singh
my uttarakhand news Bureau 

DEHRADUN, 4 Apr: Amid rising political activity in the run-up to the Assembly elections, the government in Uttarakhand has assigned responsibilities to 14 BJP leaders, a move widely seen in political circles as an attempt to balance organisational aspirations and ease internal pressures. Following the recent Cabinet expansion, the first list of appointments to various commissions, councils and advisory bodies has been released, while indications suggest that a second list may follow shortly. These political appointments are generally made to appease the ruling party leaders and are called Lal Batti appointments with government honorarium and facilities. Generally, majority of lal batti appointments which generally hold a status equal to minister of State in majority of cases and equal to Cabinet ministers in certain cases are generally made soon after the formation of the government. But in Uttarakhand, BJP has been repeatedly holding the appointments till a period when less than a year is left for the coming assembly elections.

The government led by Pushkar Singh Dhami has appointed 14 leaders to different state level government bodies, signalling the beginning of a broader exercise to accommodate party functionaries ahead of the election year. The orders in this regard were issued late last night by Home and Confidential Affairs Secretary Shailesh Bagoli in a rather secretive manner, not making an official announcement for the media on Friday.

According to Friday notification, Kuldeep Butola from Dehradun has been appointed Chairman of the State Level Sports Council. Political observers note that Butola has earlier been considered close to former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and is presently believed to share proximity with Raipur MLA Umesh Sharma Kau. From Nainital, Dhruv Rautela has been made Vice-Chairman of the Media Advisory Committee and is regarded as a trusted associate of former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

Haripriya Joshi from Champawat has been appointed to the State Women Commission, while Vinod Suyal from Tehri has been given responsibility in the State Youth Welfare Advisory Council. Mukesh Mahrana from Champawat has been inducted into the Tea Development Advisory Council. From Dehradun, Charu Kothari has been appointed Vice-Chairperson in the Statehood Movement Activists Honour Council.

Further, Prem Singh Rana from Chamoli has been included in the Tribal Commission, Khem Singh Chauhan from Tehri in the OBC Welfare Council, and Sona Sajwan from Tehri in the Herbal Advisory Committee. Govind Singh Pilkhwal from Almora has been given responsibility in the Handloom and Handicrafts Development Council, while Baljeet Soni from Dehradun has been appointed to the Minority Commission. Seema Chauhan from Kashipur has been made Vice-Chairperson of the Fisheries Development Authority. In addition, senior party leaders Bhavana Mehra and Ashok Verma have also been assigned responsibilities in the organisational framework. Verma has been appointed as Vice Chairman of State OBC Welfare Council, a post he held earlier also in Congress government.

Chief Minister Dhami and state BJP president Mahendra Bhatt have extended their congratulations to all newly appointed office bearers and expressed confidence that they would contribute effectively towards governance and organisational strengthening.

The issuance of the first list has generated considerable interest within political circles, where it is being viewed as part of a calibrated strategy to address aspirations within the party ranks ahead of the forthcoming elections. Observers point out that distribution of such responsibilities has traditionally been used by governments in Uttarakhand and other states as a means to maintain political equilibrium.

With expectations of further adjustments and inclusions, attention is now focused on the anticipated second list, which is likely to accommodate additional leaders awaiting roles within boards and corporations.