Jaisinghpur locals protest construction at playground

Hundreds of residents of Jaisinghpur, a town located 40 km from Palampur, staged a strong protest today against the state government’s decision to allocate land within the historic Jaisinghpur playground for government building construction. The protesters demanded a complete ban on all construction activities in the playground, which was developed by the rulers of the Jaisinghpur-Lambagaon Riyast over a century ago for social gatherings, religious events and fairs.

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The residents expressed outrage over the recent decision to allocate land within the playground for a judicial complex, calling it unjustified and against public interest. They urged the government to revoke the allotment immediately. Speaking to the media, Jaisinghpur Panchayat Pradhan Krishan Kant pointed out that eight kanals of land had already been designated for the judicial complex in another area adjacent to the town, making the additional allocation unnecessary.

He further highlighted that the playground had been subjected to encroachments over the past two decades, yet local authorities had failed to take action. Originally spanning 165 kanals as per revenue records, the playground has now shrunk to just 65 kanals due to illegal constructions. Kant called for an immediate and complete ban on all construction activities within the playground.

Determined to fight for their cause, the protesting residents vowed to take the matter to the Himachal Pradesh High Court if necessary to secure a stay on construction activities.

Following the protest, residents, panchayat members and members of the Jaisinghpur Beopar Mandal marched through the town’s streets, raising slogans against the government. They later submitted a memorandum to Jaisinghpur SDM Sanjiv Thakur, requesting it be forwarded to the Chief Minister and Governor of Himachal Pradesh.