Plan to regularise Kandaghat temple

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 29

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has said the government is planning to regularise the Kandaghat temple in Solan though the final decision will be taken by the Cabinet.

“I visited the temple yesterday on my return from Delhi and since the request for exchange of land has come from villagers, we might allow it,” he said, adding since the land on which the temple stood was very less, there was no harm giving it to the temple.

“The matter will be placed before the Cabinet again when a final view will be taken,” he said. If the request for exchange of land was allowed, then the government would provide some extra land to the temple for creating various facilities such as toilets for the public.

The issue of allowing exchange of land to regularise the temple made by Sadhu Amarnath in Tundal panchayat in Kandaghat was placed before the cabinet at its meeting on July 25. With the Cabinet remaining divided on allowing the exchange of land under Nautor rules, no decision could be taken.

The Chief Minister admitted that such a big temple with massive idols of various gods and goddesses could not have come up without the help of villagers and local officials. He would direct officials to be more careful in future as the construction should have been stopped immediately when it was started.

Regularising date extended

A decision which may come as a major relief for those who had raised structures in violation of building norms, the date for applying to the Town and Country Planning Department for regularising the buildings will be extended by the government.

“Tomorrow is the last date for applying but since a few applications have come, we have decided to extend the date,” the Chief Minister confirmed.

He added that the structures would be regularised on “as it is where it is” basis as there had to be one-time settlement. He also remarked that the rates for compounding had been fixed in slabs where for a smaller violation, the fee was less and for bigger violations it was more.