6 gram sabhas in Tehri seek merger with Uttarkashi district

Uttarkashi: Residents of six gram sabhas in Tehri district have demanded that their villages be merged with neighbouring Uttarkashi district, citing administrative convenience and better access to services.The gram sabhas — Dadmali, Maheda, Bagon, Katkhet, Bagalchak and Gojmer — fall under Kandisoud block of Tehri and together have a population of around 2,500.Villagers said Kandisoud block headquarters is nearly 40 km away from their villages, while Chinyalisoud block in Uttarkashi is only about 10 km away. Similarly, the Tehri district headquarters is around 100 km away, whereas Uttarkashi district headquarters lies about 40–50 km from the area.Meenakshi Devi, a member of the Katkhet panchayat, said most administrative and routine work of villagers is linked to Uttarkashi, and even the surrounding forests fall under the Uttarkashi Forest Division. However, residents have to travel to Tehri for official documentation and administrative work.Local residents Pradeep Thalwal and Pulam Singh said the villages have remained underdeveloped due to their location on the border of Tehri district.Former district panchayat president Deepak Bijalwan said the long distance to Tehri makes it difficult for villagers to access government schemes and administrative services.Residents have urged the government to merge the six gram sabhas with Uttarkashi district and warned that they may launch a protest if their demand is not addressed.