Ex-Dy Mayor alleges threat to Ridge, files FIR against officials

Former Deputy Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation Tikender Singh Panwar has filed an FIR against officials of the Home Department, police, owners of two trucks and a large crane for posing a threat to the historic Ridge.

Sharing the links of two videos, Tikender said the videos were sufficient to prove the threat town residents faced. “The first video shows two trucks plying on the Ridge tank. The tank is in the vulnerable zone and no vehicular movement is allowed on it. The video shows a large crane parked at the Ridge, which increases the vulnerability of the tank,” he said.

Asking the police to take prompt action in this matter, Panwar said, “I request you to take it urgently, failing which I will be forced to knock the doors of the Himachal Pradesh High Court that has already decided against allowing such functions at the Ridge. Still holding these functions will invite contempt of the court orders.”

On Friday, a stage was being constructed for the function of the HP AIDS Control Society for which heavy machinery was deployed at the site that is considered vulnerable. On receiving the information, Mayor Surender Chauhan reached the spot and directed to stop the construction work as well as to remove the structures.

The Mayor said the corporation had no prior information about the structure being raised. He said the permission was granted by the Home Department, but the corporation had also been kept in loop. He said there was a big water tank under a portion of the Ridge and this area was generally kept out of bounds for heavy vehicles, machinery and construction material. A couple of years back, the water tank had developed cracks and it had to be repaired.