Shimla green area ban to stay,bill to regulate construction soon
The ban on construction in Shimlas green belt imposed 13 years ago to save patches of forest at Jakhu hill,overlooking the Ridge and Mall road,and 16 other locations will stay
The ban on construction in Shimla’s green belt — imposed 13 years ago to save patches of forest at Jakhu hill,overlooking the Ridge and Mall road,and 16 other locations — will stay. The government,however,proposes to grant major relief to citizens who have raised illegal constructions and those who have built multi-storey structures in the zone.
The decision was taken by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh,who held a meeting with Minister for Urban Development Sudhir Sharma,at his residence on Tuesday. “I am not going to relax the ban on constructions in the green areas. If I do so,Shimla will become a congested concrete jungle. In fact,the town has already become one if one looks at areas like Sanjauli,” the chief minister said. He added that the government will soon enact a new law that will offer a one-time relief to those who has raised illegal buildings,high-rise structures and committed serious violations. “ I have just told the minister (Sudhir Sharma) to work out modalities on regularisation of the illegal constructions by imposing cost/penalty on those who have committed these violations. The rules will be made strict to ensure that no one dares to add even a brick illegally,” Virbhadra told The Indian Express on Tuesday.
He said the new legislation will have teeth to deal with violations and strong deterrent measures so that no one “dares to construct an inch beyond the approved maps.” “I am completely opposed to the previous concept of three-storeys or attics in buildings in the core Shimla zone,particularly Mall Road and nearby areas. The areas below Cart Road can have buildings with three or four storeys but how can one thing of four or more floors in the core areas or Jakhu hill,” the chief minister said.
He added that he was particularly concerned at the way locals have raised five to six floors and even more in some cases at top of the hill towards Dhalli and Sanjauli. “What will happen in case of a disaster or a fire. Can we take fire brigade vehicles to those areas-where buildings stand like a pack of cards ? These are persistent questions which the violators have to ask themselves,” Virbhadra said.
Said Sudhir Sharma: “The chief minister is concerned about the town,especially tackling the congestion problem. One thing is clear,we have to enact the law immediately as the retention policy has been used at discretion. The high court is already watching us.”
The one-time relief will at least strengthen the government’s hand in enforcing the law more strictly to save Shimla,he added. On relaxations in the green belt for those who have brought plots before imposition of the ban,the minister said that the chief minister was not in favour of it right now.
During previous regime,the government had proposed to relax the ban in the green area-ahead of the Shimla Municipal Corporation polls but things seems to have not moved for favour of 70 plot owners -who have not been able to raise construction.
Ashwani Sharma
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