Villagers file objections to inclusion of panchayats in upgraded Baddi MC

Panchayat representatives of the areas that have been merged in the newly upgraded Baddi Municipal Corporation filed their objections before the Solan Deputy commissioner here today. They threatened to start an agitation if the decision to include their areas in the corporation was not reversed.

Irate panchayat representatives, including Hansraj from Barotiwala and Block Development Committee member Ram Rattan, said that it was surprising that areas lying in the precincts of Baddi like Motia Plaza, Baddi bus stand, Rishi apartments, etc., which had an urban character, had been excluded while villages abound in agrarian land and lying 8 km to 10 km away had been included in the new urban body.

The villagers said that their views were not taken and the officers concerned arbitrarily decided which areas to be included or excluded. They threatened to start an agitation if the decision was not reversed.

The villagers stated that the move was aimed at benefiting realtors, who would earn profits by raising housing colonies on vacant land.

They said that the Baddi-Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority was taking care of their developmental needs and they did not want to be included in the upgraded Baddi Municipal Corporation. They alleged that the decision was taken under pressure of the land mafia and the investors were the lone beneficiaries while villagers would suffer as a majority of them were engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry.

A protest letter containing the signatures of 1,000 villagers was also handed over to the Deputy Commissioner. The villagers said that while areas like Barotiwala were largely dominated by industries, places like Buranwala, Bated etc., were largely rural and it was not right to use the same parameters to include them in the new urban body.

The state government has invited objections from the residents of the notified areas within two weeks.

As many as 18 panchayats — Sandholi, Haripur Sandholi, Malpur, Bhatoli Kalan, Katha, Bated, Tipra, Barotiwala, Dharampur, Kunjhal, Jharmajri, Balyana, Burranwala, Kotla, Kalyanpur, Surajmajra Gajjran, Judi Khurd and Judi Kalan — and 19 revenue areas of these gram panchayats have been included fully or partially in the upgraded urban body.