BJP MP plays Holi with residents of 'ghost' village in his LS constituency in Uttarakhand

Pauri (U'khand), Feb 28 (PTI) BJP MP Anil Baluni visited Dhoor, a "ghost village" in his Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency in Uttarakhand, on Saturday and played Holi with a handful of families still living there. They were joined by many former residents who returned from distant cities on the occasion.

In the misty hills of Pauri Garhwal, "ghost villages" stand as silent witnesses to decades of exodus, Baluni, who is on a mission to re-populate such settlements in his constituency, said.

Once vibrant with laughter and livestock, these hamlets, numbering hundreds across Uttarakhand, lie abandoned now, their terraced fields covered with wild weeds and the houses locked and crumbling, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.

Migration has taken a toll on the region, he added.

Baluni said Pauri had eight Assembly constituencies earlier but the number has come down to six and it can fall further after the next "delineation". Several districts across the hill state are facing the "same crisis", he said.

"Since childhood, I have seen villages being deserted," Baluni said.

"Today, many are called ghost villages because people sought better lives in cities. But now, with improved roads, electricity, water and other facilities, it is time to return to our roots, where our heritage truly thrives," he said.

Amid the splash of colours and bursts of laughter, Holi was celebrated with the handful of families still staying put in Dhoor. They were joined by many former residents who returned from distant cities on the occasion.

Baluni has been visiting such villages at frequent intervals in his efforts to repopulate them. As part of his efforts, the BJP leader has also launched the "Apna Vote Apne Gaon" campaign, urging people to register themselves as voters in their native villages. PTI PK RC