Himachal government to defy Census Commission’s order

Himachal’s Urban Development department,in a surprise move,has issued more than half a dozen notifications proposing inclusion of several new areas in the existing limits of municipal councils and nagar Panchayats,which is expected to significantly alter the structure of panchayats and also municipal bodies of some important towns.

Separate notifications were issued on August 18 to invite public objections — a mandatory requirement of Section 5 (sub-section 1) of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Act,1994,to include specific areas in the existing municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats.

Five municipal councils selected for inclusion of new areas are Solan,Nahan,Nalagarh,Palampur and Mandi. Three nagar panchayats,which will undergo changes,are Rewalsar in Mandi district, Sarkaghat and Arki.

The move has raised questions as to how the Urban Development departmen—¿ a portfolio held by Cabinet minister Mohinder Singh Thak—r¿ has gone ahead with reorganisation of the municipal bodies when his counterpart,Panchayati Raj minister Jairam Thakur,had already turned down MLAs’ demand for re-organisation and of creating new panchayats in the state.

The demand for creation of new panchayats have been coming from most sitting MLAs,who had raised the issue during the Budget Session of the Assembly; but the minister had quoted directions from the Census Commission of India,restraining all state governments against changes in the panchayats’ restructure as this would seriously affect census work. However,the department of Urban Development has gone out to issue notifications in this regard.

Senior officials in the department admit that the reoganisation of the Municipal Councils or nagar Panachayats would mean inclusion of certain panchayat areas in the urban bodies. Unless the Panchayati Raj department also carries out a similar exercise,the Urban Development department’s move would result in a crisis.

Details available with The Sunday Express reveal that new areas proposed to be included in Solan include a major chunk of Saproon,Deon,Sihardi,Basal-Patti-Kather,Ber-ki-Ser,Ber Khas,Bajrol,Damrog and Shamti. Mandi also has a vast area proposed,including Bijni,Chipnu,Bhiyuli,Nela,Kangni,Wari,Purni Mandi,Panjiati and Chandyana.

The biggest proposal of all is related to Nalagarh,where 278 new areas are being included in the Municipal Council,.

Sarkaghat,the urban development minister’s own constituency segment,has two proposals to include Barchwar and Dabrog for local Nagar Panchayat. Similarly,Nahan has Khajuria (15 proposals) and Jadja has more than 200 proposals for their inclusion in the local municipal council.