Even as top Congress leaders from Delhi were busy giving the final touches to the preparations for the two-day conclave of chief ministers from 14 Congress-ruled states, some activists have given a call to stage a protest demonstration before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images].

Carrying the banner of Uttrakhand Andolankari Sangharsh Samiti, they hail from groups earlier engaged in launching the movement for an independent Uttarakhand way back in the early nineties.

And they seem to be least willing to be pacified by the Union government's recent decision to rename Uttaranchal as "Uttrakhand".

Ever since their dream was realised in 2000, they have been demanding employment for all those who had suffered during the movement. However, their protests have borne no fruit so far.

What irked them even more was the colossal expenditure that this fund-starved state was incurring on hosting the two-day meet of Congress chief ministers.

"They are willing to spend crores on providing luxuries to VIPs, but they cannot provide a handful of jobs to people who do not even get four square meals, because they have spent the better days of their life battling to get an independent hill state," lamented the samiti chief Lalit Mohan Joshi.

The arrest of one of their key leaders, Kanchan Chandola on Friday afternoon, has further aggravated the crisis as defiant protestors continued the agitation. 

"Kanchan Chandola was arrested for no reason; she was simply sitting on a fast to press our long-pending demands," Joshi said.

The police, however, claimed, "Chandola had been sitting on a fast-unto-death without drinking a drop of water or eating anything for the past four days; and that is not permissible under law, therefore we had to take her into custody and hospitalise her."

The protestors, however, propose to continue with their demonstration.

"If they do not let us meet the prime minister, we will court arrest," warned Laxmi Narain Lohani, another activist participating in the demonstration.

Unmindful of the heavy presence of the police, they went about raising slogans against Uttaranchal Chief Minister Narayan Datt Tiwari.

They pointedly held him responsible for leaving their long pending demand for employment unfulfilled.

"When the government can employ so many others, why can't they consider the case of those who have suffered, who have faced bullets and other undergone worse atrocities while pursuing their demand for an independent state during the nineties," asked Joshi.

Meanwhile, Nainital was spruced up for the big event.

Right from the railhead at Kathgodam, 32 km down the hill, as well as the nearest airport at Pantnagar, about 60 km away, one can see how the otherwise cash-starved Uttaranchal government is ready to roll out the red carpet for the VVIPs.

Not only has the entire winding highway been provided with a fresh tar coating, but all markings including the zebra lines all along the sides were being painted until this morning.

Even safety railings along the deep gorges, that never drew any government's attention in all these decades, had now been put up, duly painted in sparkling yellow and black paint all along the climb to this resort town, 6500 ft above sea level.

Even the Uttaranchal Public Works Minister Indira Hridesh had no clue about the drain that the conference had caused to the state exchequer.

"I am not sure. But the total expenditure would be less than Rs 10 crores," Hridesh told this scribe.

Security also has been tightened. The Nainital Club -- the official venue of the meet -- has been literally taken over by the SPG and so is the Governor's House, where both Sonia and Manmohan Singh would be lodged.