An apple cider vinegar manufacturing company in Banalgi village, Darwa panchayat, Kasauli subdivision, Solan district, has blocked a common path by installing a barbed wire fence around its industrial plot, sparking protests from local residents.
Villagers forced to take long detour
The closure of the pathway has caused significant inconvenience. Villagers now have to walk a longer route to reach their fields and neighboring villages. According to protesters, children must travel about 2 kilometers to attend their middle school, while devotees face a lengthy walk to a Hanuman temple.
On Tuesday, residents gathered and held a protest, demanding the immediate restoration of the earlier pathway. They argued that company employees were using the same common path to access the factory, questioning why locals could not do the same.
Protesters submit representation to SDM
The villagers submitted a representation to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Kasauli, urging swift action. They threatened to launch a larger agitation and explore legal options if their demand was not met.
Former up-pradhans Hira Lal and Ramesh Kumar participated in the protest. They stated that residents of nearby areas like Shama Ghat also rely on this shorter route to travel to Banalgi, and its closure would affect a large number of people.
Revenue records show land as common path
The agitating villagers claimed that revenue records have listed the land as a common path for decades, asserting that the company cannot arbitrarily close it. They suggested that since the factory has installed CCTV cameras, it can monitor suspicious activities without blocking the path.
Company cites legal obligations
General Manager of the District Industries Centre, Solan, Surinder Thakur, said the factory, operating on a leased industrial plot at Banalgi, is obliged to cordon off its area under the Himachal Pradesh Excise Act. He explained that initially, villagers were allowed to use a common path through the factory, and later an alternative path was created. However, that alternative path has also been closed with barbed wire due to the legal mandate.
