Upgrade of Nagrota Surian to nagar panchayat opposed
Rajiv Mahajan
Nurpur, December 1
The state government’s proposal to upgrade Nagrota Surian gram panchayat to a nagar panchayat, incorporating four neighbouring gram panchayats—Katholi, Suganada, Bassa, and Nagrota Surian—has sparked widespread opposition among residents. The Urban Development Department issued a notification (UD-A (1)-20-2024) on November 23, inviting public objections within two weeks through the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra.
Sanjay Guleria, BJP leader and former Assembly candidate from Jawali, criticised the move as a political conspiracy by the ruling government. He alleged that the decision was made without consulting panchayat representatives or residents, most of whom are daily wage earners living below the poverty line. Guleria pointed out that the affected panchayats hold over 1,500 MGNREGA job cards, reflecting the fragile economic condition of their inhabitants.
Guleria further claimed that the government’s actions targeted the Nagrota Surian area unfairly. He highlighted a previous relocation of 10 gram panchayats from Nagrota Surian development block to Dehra development block, represented by the Chief Minister’s wife, Kamlesh Thakur. “Residents now have to travel 35-45 km to Dehra, compared to the earlier 3-5 km to Nagrota Surian,” he said, calling these decisions anti-people.
Local leaders, including the pradhans of Bassa, Katholi and Nagrota Surian gram panchayats, joined by Munish, up-pradhan of Katholi, and Dheeraj Atri, vice-chairman of the Nagrota Surian block development committee, also opposed the proposal. They appealed to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to revoke the notification. They warned of a mass agitation against the imposition of harsh Town and Country Planning (T&CP) rules and house tax, which they claim would burden thousands of rural residents.
On Sunday, hundreds of MGNREGA women workers from the affected panchayats gathered at the PWD rest house in Nagrota Surian to express their discontent. They urged the state government to reconsider and immediately withdraw the proposal, citing its potential to exacerbate the economic and administrative difficulties of the region.
The controversy has fueled tensions in the Jawali constituency, with locals determined to resist what they see as a politically motivated and impractical decision.
