Paragpur, first heritage village in Kangra valley, lacks facilities

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, July 4

Paragpur, the first heritage village located in the foothills of the Dhauladhars in the Kangra valley near Dehra Gopipur, 70 km from Palampur, is crying for the attention.

Promises only on paper

• In 1997, the government had promised to come up with a master plan for the development of the village
• A committee was also constituted to submit its report to the government so that it could be developed as a major tourist destination
• However, no progress has been made and the condition of the village has worsened

The village got the heritage village tag 25 years ago but no development has taken place there. This village reflects the essence of an earlier era.

Mature buildings, fine work, remarkable architecture and old shops are the core of the heritage zone. But with the passage of time, some of the historic buildings are decaying.

In 1997, the state government had promised to come out with a master plan for the development of the village. A high-level committee was also constituted to submit its report to the government so that it could be developed as a major tourist destination, particularly for foreigners.

However, no headway was made and the condition of the village turned from bad to worse. Most streets are in poor shape, water is overflowing on roads, there is no arrangement to clean the roads and streets regularly and heaps of garbage can be seen everywhere.

Paragpur is also a shooting spot for many Punjabi and Hindi movies.

This heritage zone can give a boost to tourism if the government takes care of historic monuments which are on the verge of collapse.

Villagers say that the government should set up a development board for the upkeep of the village. The board should have members from the area and also from the Sood community, whose ancestors are said to have built this village.

They say Industries Minister Bikram Singh represents the area but the village has seen no development in the past five years. They add that they are keen to help the state government and play a significant role in developing the village as a major tourist attraction.

Deepak Sood, a businessman in Paragpur, says: “No steps have been taken to create amenities for tourists, who visit these villages.”

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