Not just Kasauli but the entire state is turning into a concrete jungle

           The politician has a lot to answer for, for this shocking bungle

           Read what have I to say on this, this week, and tell what you make of it

           And to save the 'green' of our greying towns, let's contribute our little bit

         Act tough on illegal constructions, Mr CM please

                            

The Tribune, 05 May 201

Excuse me if it is a boast. But I think my voice represents all the sane and sober Himachalwallas who are a silent but shocked and angry witness to the rapid decline of all that is beautiful and pristine that Himachal is proud of. Needless to say, the biggest cause for this steep erosion is reckless, unplanned, unsustainable, unauthorized construction…construction that is unscientific, unaesthetic and in direct conflict with hill ecology and hill architecture. And therefore this small, seismically sensitive hill state groans under the weight of 25000 illegal structures of concrete– a mindboggling number by any standards. It is a virtual time bomb awaiting a temblor or some kind of natural disaster to trigger a major catastrophe. Imagine the tragedy – tragedy which could have been avoided – that would be unleashed.

As I have said before, Shimla has become virtually unlivable. Kasauli, Manali, Dalhousie and Mcleodganj are no more the pristine wonders of ‘green’ but ugly concrete jungles. Other small towns (including my own beautiful Palampur) are not far behind in this race towards uglification with illegal constructions and encroachments on government lands, PWD roads, link roads in its suburbs (including Aima-Sughar area where I reside) and highways, a common sight. Even those lands which can neither be sold, nor their use altered under the law, are being exploited with glee by cunning manipulation and by conniving with the powers that be.

And I hold both the Virbhadhra Singh-led Congress and the PK Dhumal-led BJP governments squarely responsible for this mess, chaos and the potential danger of enormous proportions they have landed us in. Shockingly, they have been brazen enough to  try and  circumvent the NGT’s orders and High Court/Apex court rulings even, to appease and oblige the builder/contractor/hotel lobby. The death of an upright TCP officer and lately of a PWD worker at Kasauli is a sad reminder of how deep the rot is.

The Tribune, 05 May 2018

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And let’s not gloss over another point. How many of such illegal constructions –the hotels, the offices and even residences belong to the worthy lawmakers or their kin? The Supreme Court has rightly taken a serious view of the whole issue and asked the government to take action against the conniving officials of TCP/PWD and other related departments who didn’t stick to the rules. But my point is: why no one talks about action against the politicians at whose behest the officials worked? Beyond doubt, our venal politicians are the main culprits as well as the beneficiaries (directly or indirectly) in this plunder, loot and destruction of our green hills by facilitating and promoting illegal constructions. It is they who should also be hauled up by the courts and held personally accountable together with the complicit officials.

The Tribune, 05 May 2018

Amar Ujala, 05 May 2018

                                                     

                                                    

                                             

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                  Keep it up, Mr L S Guleria; we are with you

A similar view has been expressed by an enlightened and intrepid soul from Mandi: Mr Lakshmendra Singh Guleria, Chairman of ‘Mandi Bachao Sangharsh Morcha’ and I fully appreciate and endorse all that he has said. No one is or should be above the law, he contends, and wants the tainted politicians to be punished too. Well,  in case he decides to take the case to the Supreme Court – as he says he will - we all need to stand by him and lend our support. I certainly do. Guleria ji, I laud your initiative and would be glad to join you and contribute my bit- any which way. Please carry on.                                     

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We would also want the present government to bring out in the public domain full information on how many of these illegal structures belong to political parties, the politicians, the high and mighty bureaucrats, or their kin.

The Aam Aadmi of Himachal Pradesh holds our present CM Shri Jai Ram Thakur in high esteem for his clean image. Therefore, we expect him to act tough. The pressure on him will be momentous. But unlike his predecessors, he has to save Himachal from further slide towards the dark abyss of ecological disaster. Let the entire state be rid of all illegal constructions/encroachments (including those in small towns too) once for all – to restore its original beauty and spaciousness once for all.  That done, he will have delivered as a CM. And he will also have earned the eternal gratitude of the ‘common man’, as also of the Mother Nature. And undoubtedly this will be good politics as well, for such saner, law-abiding Himachalis far outnumber the greedy, unscrupulous and manipulative flouters of law.
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