5 years on, Solan's transport nagar project still a dream

Ambika Sharma

Solan, November 5

The much-hyped transport nagar, which is supposed to rehabilitate the displaced motor mechanics whose shops were acquired for four-laning of the Solan-Shimla highway at Chambaghat, has failed to come up despite tall promises by the successive governments.

Cost pegged at Rs 21.22 cr

Initially, the Urban Development Department (UDD) was to execute the project and bear its cost pegged at Rs 21.22 crore. As per the project report, it will have 135 showrooms and 140 workshops on 15,417 sq m area on the Kather bypass in Solan. It was supposed to rehabilitate the displaced motor mechanics located at Chambaghat who were displaced due to the four-laning of the Solan-Shimla highway.

The demolition of the shops began in 2015.

The foundation stone of the project was laid at Kather bypass in April 2018 by former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Rs 2 crore were announced in March 2021 ahead of the civic body elections here. However, the project failed to make any headway though the issue is raked up each time in the run up to the elections by the Congress and the BJP.

Initially, the Urban Development Department (UDD) was to execute the project and bear its cost pegged at Rs 21.22 crore. Even a detailed project report was prepared and it was decided that 135 showrooms and 140 workshops would be constructed on 15,417 sq m area on the Kather bypass in Solan. However, officials refused to execute the project citing lack of funds as one of the reasons. It was then transferred to the Transport Department and again to the UDD with only little having been done to initiate it.

Dheeraj Sood, who heads the Maa Durga Society comprising the displaced shop owners, said: “The motor mechanics have been forced to take up other jobs as they have failed to find adequate space to open up new shops. Some have managed to open make-shift shops at a few isolated places near the sabzi mandi. There is no single place to operate and customers fail to get all services at one place. This has hit the business adversely.”

He said barely 50 per cent of the mechanics have managed to survive by taking up jobs like driving. Others who do not meet the minimum qualification to acquire a driving licence are eking out a living by doing odd jobs. What has added to their plight is the high rental of shops after the four-laning of the highway. A mechanic can hardly afford a monthly rental of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 for a roadside shop.