Power supply to buildings along Parwanoo NH to be cut

Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, June 2

In a bid to get 75 buildings lying along the national highway (NH)-05 vacated for four-laning of the Parwanoo-Chambaghat section, the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Solan, has directed the officials of the power and Jal Shakti Vibhag to snap their electricity and water connections.

High Court had ordered disconnection

• The high court has ordered disconnection of water and electricity supplies to such premises while deciding a writ petition in November 2020 and in March 2021
• The officials of Jal Shakti Vibhag and HP State Electricity Board Limited have been directed to file an action taken report before the Sub Divisional Magistrate

Since the owners had not vacated these buildings despite grant of compensation, these could not be dismantled. “These buildings have been acquired for four-laning the NH-05 and the owners have been granted entire compensation. Despite this, the owners have not vacated them and their possession could not be granted to the National Highways Authority of India,” informed SDM Solan, Ajay Yadav.

The high court has also ordered disconnection of water and electricity supplies to such premises while deciding a writ petition in November 2020 and in March 2021 on this issue, informed Yadav.

The officials of Jal Shakti Vibhag and HP State Electricity Board Limited have been directed to file an action taken report before the SDM after disconnecting the power and water supply at the earliest.

Several such buildings continued to be in use by the owners though some had been partially dismantled and had become vulnerable. They are located all over the highway from Parwanoo to Chambaghat at Datyar, Koti, Gahi, Mangoti, Sanwara, Mando Matkanda, Dharampur Bathol, Dhar-ki-Bher, Sihari Chamara, Kheel Jashli, Himmatpur Dabli, Badhaoni, Khali, Bara, Barog, Anji, Rabaun, Saproon, Kathed and Basal Patti villages.

The maximum of 18 such buildings were located at Basal Patti, six in Kathed, 10 in Saproon, three in Rabaun, four in Anji, five in Dharampur, among other places. The owners of these buildings continued to use these buildings as these areas were hub of commercial activities and renting these buildings fetched them monetary returns.

The SDM said that a meeting would be held with the officials of the National Highways Authority of India tomorrow to plan the demolition campaign which will begin from Chambaghat. Out of the about 350 structures which were acquired from Parwanoo-Chambaghat on the NH-05, about 250 have been demolished.

Since about 95 per cent of the four-laning work from Parwanoo to Chambaghat has been completed, the NHAI has been demanding possession of all 75 buildings. They are supposed to be demolished as they have become vulnerable owing to the widening of the road and endanger lives.