Rain damage to Dharampur bus stand to be probed

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 17

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today ordered an inquiry into floods that damaged the bus stand saying that it would be confirmed “who and under what circumstances the site was selected for the construction of the bus stand at Dharampur along the river banks”.

He directed the PWD to ensure that no government building would come up along the river beds, nullahas or seasonal rivulets.

Taking cognisance of The Tribune report on the construction of the flood-ravaged Dharampur bus stand on the river bed of the Soan khad in Mandi, the Chief Minister ordered this inquiry, while presiding over the State Management Disaster Authority (SDMA) meeting here today.

It was attended by Rajinder Rana, vice-chairman, SDMA, P Mitra, Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, Tarun Shridhar, Narinder Chauhan and PC Dhiman, DGP, Sanjay Kumar and other officials.

Though, the CM did not clarify whether or not the Dharampur bus stand would be restored, but the inquiry has put a question mark on the Rs one crore grant to restore the bus stand announced by the Transport Minister GS Bali. He said it was negligence on the part of those who ignored the threat of flash floods and constructed the bus stand along the river bed by erecting a retaining wall to stop the flow of the river water.