An untold story which began on 17th July, 2025 and it apperas that it is never ending story of a village of Pokhra block in Garhwal

( above, the retired class one officer in central government Mr. Subhash Chandra Badola ploughing his fields with a hand tractor)

SUBHASH CHANDRA BADOLA
After superannuation from Airports Authority of India as joint General Manager ( Air Traffic Control ) and Radar Instructor and having an additional independent charge of International Liasioning officer, I thought i must do something for my motherland Dev Bhumi Uttrakhand. Being a resident of a remote village Badolgaon, block Pokhra of District Pauri under Chaubattakhal electoral constituency I am fully aware of the burrning issues related to development and welfare of the villagers under above said sector of uttrakhand.

I don’t wish or intend to directly blame the local MLA Shri Satpal maharaj but at some extent the villagers are also equally responsible. No doubt that there is always a fear of wild animals, but because of distribution of free ration by government, the villagers have completely stopped farming.

It was the morning of July 17, 2025, when I was sitting in the courtyard of my house on a long journey back to my village, Barolgaon. It suddenly occurred to me that I was born here, though I was raised and educated in Delhi. During my long career, I owe everything I am to this land. S officer, I earned good friends from a rank of Class IV employee to an I A S officer, money, fame, and recognition. I educated my children, who are now in Canada.

Badolgaon in Pauri Garhwal[/caption]

Leadership qualities in me are inherrent as during service period i served my cader of Air Traffic Control as Regional Secretary of ATC guild and resolved many welfare issues of controllers with the management. I thought I should use my administrative experience and public relations skills to give back to my motherland. I decided to raise the burning issues pertaining to my village and surrounding villages, such as dangerous and damaged roads, replacement of damaged water pipelines which were laid in the 1970s, and compensation for farmland damaged during road construction.

On July 19th, I emailed the Honorable District Magistrate, Pauri, highlighting all the issues and requesting an appointment. The District Magistrate, Mrs. Swati Srivastava Bhadauria, IAS, scheduled an appointment for July 25th, 2025.

Despite her busy schedule, the District Magistrate patiently listened to me and took note / cognisance of all our issues. She directed the relevant heads of departments to resolve the issues within their respective departments.

I was surprised to see responses pouring in, and the Block Development Officer, engineers from the Jal Nigam, the Public Works Department, and others visited our village.

After receiving positive feedback from all concerned, I decided it was time to prepare the barren fields by clearing the overgrown bushes and leveling the fields. Some local people joined the campaign, and traditional ploughs and oxen were used to plough the fields.

Knowing full well that crop yields could be negligible due to damage by wild animals like wild boars and wild rabbits, we cleared many barren fields that had been fallow for more than a decade.

Everything was being done with the money I had, and it was becoming difficult to keep this noble cause going, although many of my friends and well-wishers assured me of financial support. Lord Badrinath blessed the entire team, and officials from agriculture, horticulture, and other departments began visiting our village and informing the villagers about various government schemes.

A group of farmers (Kisan Samuh) has been formed and is registered with the Registrar of Societies, District Pauri, Uttarakhand. Once all formalities are completed, villagers can start various projects, such as polyhouses, large water storage tanks, agricultural equipment, fruit trees, etc., with 80% government subsidy
These fields / farmlands had d been barren for nearly 10 years. We’re not only tilling our fields, but also giving back to these fields, which were once our ancestors’ sole source of livelihood. Many of you may not have seen those days nearly 55 years ago, but I did during my school summer vacations, when I would visit the village every summer.

The government claims it is extremely sensitive to migration and unemployment, but the truth is that this is only on paper. If the government truly wants to stop migration and unemployment, its MLAs and ministers should visit their constituencies regularly, not sitting in Dehradun or other metropolitan cities.

Most unfortunate, the local MLA and Minister (PWD) remained silent on my various emails and messages. This village falls in the Chaubattakhal Assembly constituency, where Mr. Satpal Maharaj is the MLA and Minister (PWD). Perhaps they will appear with folded hands before the 2027 Assembly elections, nevertheless…….

i neither have any grudge against any
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individual nor i have any political inspirations
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but will not leave any stone unturned to expose
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these non performing politicians .
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The pathetic and dangerous condition of roads and footpaths is an open invitation for a visit to hell. Since August till now there had been many deaths due to attack of leooards specially in my block Pokra there had been eight attacks of leopard killing around 5 to 6 innocent villagers.The politicians do visit the affected families but have no concrete action plan to arrest the attacks of leopards.

I won’t hesitate to say here that CM Portal 1905 is useless, and I don’t believe it has solved even a single problem raised by innocent villagers throgh this portal. I simply want to tell my brothers and sisters in Uttarakhand that it’s better to raise your problems with bureaucrats, and preferably Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, rather than with the politicians.

This is a grave disgrace for the Uttarakhand government led by Mr. Pushkar Singh Dhami. I have no hesitation in saying Honorable Chief Minister has allegedly confuned the development to a particular sector of uttrakhand and his constituency, Champawat as we haven’t acknowledged any direct or indirect support from the minister of his government representing Chowbattakhal constituency either in terms of development or stopping the increasunvvhuman kills by the maneaters.

Since begining of the story till date majorty of the issues have been resolved and many are on final stage of completion.

* The severly damaged water pipelines has been repaired .

* Interim release of funds to restart the Varsund dev water pumping station, which was stopped due to paucity of funds.

*The jai badrinarayan krishak samooh ( registered ) has installed 18 solar power street lights at Badolgaon and two adjoining villages.

*Weeder machine has been procured availing 89% government subsidy.

* Ms.Sona Badola a talented sportsgirl from a remote village, Jajedi was honored on International day of women ( 2025 ).Ms Sona was selected for under – 19 cricket team of Uttrakhand.

*Four divyaangs ( physically disabled ) villagers have been selected for a small finan ial help from two villages in District Pokhra.

The following approvals are on final stage…
Repair of PMGSY jhabera link road, chain link fencing ( 500 metre ), jeo water tank ( capacity 20000 litres ), Repair of village ( Patholgaon) school,

This noble deed of starting cultivation on barren fields, taking up various developmental/ welfare with the government, spending a little bit from our own vallet, identifying talented students from your own and neighbouring villages arresting migration is a true noble deed to our ancestors and our motherland as well. I urge uoon all the readers to come forward to adopt minimum three villages in their respective blocks or at least their own village.

Pictures on varios occasions …like handing over of memorandum of demands to hon’ble District Megistrate, barren fields before & after cleaning overgrown bushes, use of weeder machine, pathetic and dangerous condition of roads, damaged water pipeline before repair etc are attached.

(THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ABOVE ARE THE PERSONAL VIEWS OF THE RETIRED CLASS ONE OFFICER IN MJNISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION WHO NELONGS TO BADOLGAON VILLSGE UNDER CHOWBATTAKHAL CUBSTITUENCY AMD UKNATIONNEWS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM)