The Himachal Pradesh High Court has reprimanded the Mandi (Sadar) Sub-Divisional Officer (SDM) for failing to take action against illegal accesses and encroachments along the Kiratpur-Manali highway. The court warned that the officer would have to appear in person if the encroachments are not removed promptly.
Court's Observations
A division bench comprising Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin C Negi noted during a recent hearing that the SDM's report indicated 51 encroachments and illegal accesses still required removal. The bench stated, "As per the report submitted by the SDM, 51 encroachments and illegal accesses are still to be removed from the highway, and it is thus apparent that the officer has not done anything fruitful."
Background of the Case
On July 21 last year, Chief Justice Sandhawalia had ordered the deputy commissioners of Kullu, Mandi, and Bilaspur to remove all encroachments along the Kiratpur-Manali highway. The directives were issued in response to a petition filed in 2023 by Madan Lal Sharma, general secretary of the Fourlane Visthapit and Prabahavit Samiti (FVPS), an organization advocating for people displaced by highway projects. The petition highlighted that the lack of footpaths, steel barricades, retaining walls, and foot-over-bridges had made the Kiratpur-Nerchowk highway accident-prone and unsafe for users.
Progress Reports
The court had also instructed the deputy commissioners to submit reports on the status of encroachments in their respective districts and to take necessary action. According to the Mandi deputy commissioner's affidavit, 61 out of 117 illegal accesses (entry and exit points) and 23 out of 43 encroachments had been removed from the section of the highway falling under the Sundernagar sub-division. However, 56 illegal accesses and 20 encroachments remained pending. In the Balh sub-division of Mandi district, the administration had removed 30 out of 47 illegal accesses and 12 out of 21 encroachments, leaving 17 illegal accesses and nine encroachments yet to be cleared.
The court noted that the Balichowki SDM had reported the complete removal of all six identified encroachments in that area. An affidavit from the Kullu deputy commissioner stated that 11 out of 22 encroachments had been removed, while notices were issued to the remaining encroachers. In Bhuntar tehsil, all 60 identified encroachments had been cleared. Additionally, the administration removed hoardings and boards installed on NHAI-acquired land between Patlikuhal and 18 Mile.
Next Steps
The High Court directed the concerned officers to file fresh status reports on the progress of encroachment removal. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 28.
