Varanasi: Putting speculation about her possible political entry to rest, former IAS officer Divya Mittal, who recently resigned from the civil services, clarified that she is not joining any political party. Offering prayers at the Vindhyachal temple in Mirzapur on the first day of Sharadiya Navratri on Sunday, Mittal said she would soon publicly clarify her future course of action.Mittal, who has drawn attention with her resignation and stated intention to enter politics, received a warm welcome from various groups in Mirzapur, with people offering her chunaris and garlands. She served here as the DM here from Sept 2022 to Sept 2023 and famously resolved a 75-year-old severe drinking water crisis in Lahuria Dah, a remote, semi-arid hilly village.“There is speculation about my next move. But I want to make it clear that I am not going to join any political party. Whatever speculations are being made about my next step, I will very soon clarify my stand publicly,” she said.Reacting to the proposed school project in the remote Lahariya Dah area, where construction was halted after the site was found to fall within a forest department reserve zone, Mittal said the administration and public representatives should work together to resolve the issue. She said that if land-related disputes involving the forest department or any other department arise, all stakeholders should sit together and identify alternative land for the project.“I do not believe that there is a shortage of land in our country that a school cannot be built for the children of a village,” Mittal said, adding that it was her heartfelt wish to see the school built.“Fulfilling that dream is the responsibility of the administration and those in responsible positions,” said Mittal, whose earlier statement on the delay in starting work on the school in Lahariya Dah had prompted officials to visit the area. However, work could not progress at the initially selected site because of objections from the forest department. Asked about the politicisation of the issue, Mittal said the question should be directed at those giving the matter a political colour.“My stand is clear — the school should be built,” she said, adding that her efforts would continue to bring education to places where educational facilities were still unavailable. She said children’s education, the basic needs of villages, and fulfilling people’s dreams would remain her priorities.Mittal had earlier drawn attention from public representatives in Mirzapur by inaugurating a piped water supply project in Lahuriya Dah, a hill village situated above the Dramandganj valley in Mirzapur district, while serving as the district magistrate. Her initiatives as DM increased her popularity, while her attention to the demands and grievances of opposition parties had led to her transfer from Mirzapur.After announcing her decision to quit the civil services and her intention to enter active politics, speculation has been rife that Mirzapur could be the constituency from which she may enter electoral politics.
