Gunji residents protest against Army contractor

PITHORAGARH: Accusing a contractor of the Indian Army of chopping down trees in the area for an official project, residents of Gunji village -- close to the Nepal border -- held a demonstration and later handed over a memorandum to the district magistrate’s office on Tuesday.

The villagers covered a distance of 170-km to hand over the memorandum at Pithoragarh district headquarters.

“The contractor is making a dumping ground at a location where a festival is organised every 12 years for peace and welfare of the region and its people. Many trees were also chopped which were planted by the forest department as a safety wall. The nearby site for the cremation ground was also disturbed,” said Suresh Gunjiyal, gram pradhan.

Fincha Singh Chauhan, additional district magistrate of Pithoragarh, said, “The matter will be investigated and if the allegations are proved, an action will be taken against the contractor under the Forest Act.”