Caring two hoots for the resentment among the residents, Principal Secretary Urban Development Devesh Kumar upgraded the Baddi municipal council into a corporation and Kunihar panchayat into a nagar panchayat (NP) in a notification issued last evening.
Objections have been invited by the state government from the inhabitants of the notified areas in these civic bodies within two weeks. They can submit their objections to the Deputy Commissioner within the stipulated period with the government making it clear that no objection would be entertained later.
In Kunihar nagar panchayat areas lying in the precincts like Thawna, Hatkot, Kothi-First, Up Mahal Kothi-Second, Unchagaon and up-mahal Pulhara have been merged to constitute the nagar panchayat. While Thawna, Hatkot, Kothi-First and Up Mahal Kothi Second would be fully included in the new civic body, Unchagaon and Up Mahal Pulhara would be partially incorporated into the nagar panchayat. Its khasra numbers have been notified to inform the general public so that they can put forth their objections.
Similarly, in Baddi municipal corporation 18 pancahayts are Sandholi, Haripur Sandholi, Malpur, Bhatoli Kalan, Katha, Bated, Tipra, Barotiwala, Dharampur, Kunjhal, Jharmajri, Balyana, Burranwala, Kotla, Kalyanpur, Surajmajra Gajjran, Judi Khurd and Judi Kalan. As many as 19 revenue areas from these gram panchayats have been included either fully or partially in the notification.
While residents of both Baddi and Kunihar have resented the move, it remains to be seen if their objections would be addressed or they would have to bow before the state government’s directive.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Solan Ajay Yadav confirmed that the state government has notified Baddi as a municipal corporation and Kunihar as a nagar panchayat by including nearby rural areas into its purview.
The move has been taken to enhance and improve development activities in the two civic bodies according to the notification. It remains to be seen whether adequate funds would be granted to spruce up developmental works as the existing civic bodies are already facing cash crunch.
Both assembly segments of Doon and Arki are represented by the Congress MLAs. With this notification, the number of municipal corporations (MCs) in Solan district has gone up to two with Solan being the other MC. The number of nagar panchayats in Solan has risen to three with Arki and Kandaghat being the other two.