4 years on, Panchayat Bhavan remains incomplete

The Panchayat Bhavan of the Barghwar Panchayat, falling under the Bhavarna block, remains incomplete even after four years since its foundation was laid by Vipin Parmar, the then Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.

Despite the initial promise and partial release of funds, the construction has come to a complete halt due to financial constraints, leaving both panchayat representatives and residents disappointed and helpless.

In September 2021, Parmar, who is a sitting BJP MLA, laid the foundation stone of the building amid fanfare. During the ceremony, he had directed the departments concerned to ensure the work was completed on a war-footing.

However, nearly four years later, the structure stands half-finished — a glaring symbol of administrative apathy and lack of follow-through.

The previous BJP-led state government had announced Rs 33 lakh for the construction of the Panchayat Bhavan, of which only Rs 26 lakh was released in instalments. The executing contractor, as per officials, has already spent around Rs 32.89 lakh from the available funds and his own pocket. However, the building remains unfinished, lacking key facilities and basic infrastructure to make it operational.

Now, the Public Works Department (PWD) has prepared a revised estimate of Rs 60 lakh to complete the pending work. The estimate has been submitted to the Panchayati Raj Department for approval and release of funds. However, due to the continued delay in fund release from the department, the construction work has been entirely stalled for several months.

The Barghwar Panchayat has been functioning in a cramped single room located in the building of the Bhavarna Panchayat for the past four years. This temporary arrangement has posed significant challenges in delivering essential services to the villagers. The lack of a regular appointment of a panchayat secretary has further compounded the administrative hurdles.

The up-pradhan of Barghwar Panchayat, Shivalik Naryal, voiced the growing frustration among the local representatives. “There are already many challenges in running the panchayat work, and not having a regular secretary has made things worse. We have repeatedly knocked on the doors of the local administration and the departments concerned, but to no avail. Our hopes of working from our own Panchayat Bhavan are slowly fading,” he said.

The delay has not only affected the administrative functioning but also dampened the morale of the panchayat members and villagers, who had hoped the new building would bring better governance and services closer to their doorsteps.

The villagers have urged the state government and the Panchayati Raj Department to take immediate steps to release the pending funds and ensure timely completion of the building.