No progress on CM’s promise of master plan for Palampur development

There has been no progress with regard to the preparation of a master plan for the planned development of Palampur city even three years after the formation of the Municipal Corporation. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had promised two years ago that his government would come out with a master plan for the development of major tourist destinations of the state, including Palampur.

The Chief Minister had said that the planned development of Palampur city was necessary for maintaining its clean and green environment. “Since the government has announced Kangra as the tourism capital of the state, it will focus on the development of the tea town of Palampur as a major tourist hub. Palampur attracts thousands of tourists every year because of its scenic beauty and its valley is surrounded by snow-clad Dhauladhar ranges,” he had asserted.

In the absence of proper planning, the city has been marred with illegal constructions that have increased manifold. Several buildings have been built without prior approval from the Municipal Corporation and the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department. In many cases, the Municipal Corporation has also issued show-cause notices to defaulters. The Himachal Pradesh High Court has also taken cognizance of illegal construction in the city and treated a news item that had appeared in these columns as public interest litigation (PIL)

The illegal, unplanned and haphazard construction in Palampur shows the lackadaisical approach of the local authorities and careless approach of the TCP Department. It also poses a serious challenge to firefighting, health and disaster management agencies during natural calamities. For the past five years, the city has virtually turned into a slum. It was expected that with the formation of the Municipal Corporation, the situation would improve but it instead worsened.

A number of illegal buildings have come up on riverbeds in the city. Many plans were made to decongest the city by establishing satellite towns. However, all plans remained only on paper. The state government following the murder of a TCP officer in Solan in 2017 had addressed a letter to Deputy Commissioners and the civic authorities directing them to initiate lawful action against the violators of the building bylaws, failing which the government would initiate action against the municipal councils concerned and would not hesitate to even appoint administrators to ensure the implementation of laws. Unfortunately, no one bothers and illegal construction is still going on.

NGO People’s Voice says that the Municipal Corporation should prepare a master plan as per the commitment the Chief Minister had made to the residents of Palampur.