Shimla, July 6,
A convention of residents affected by the construction of the four-lane highway from Kaithlighat to Dhalli is scheduled to be held on July 7 at 11 AM at Kalibari Hall in Shimla. The event, being organized by the Himachal Kisan Sabha, aims to bring together people from several panchayats impacted by the project, including Kaithlighat, Basha, Shodhi, Anandpur, Kot, Pujarli, Mehli, Malyana, Chamyana, and Dhalli, informed Kuldeep Tanwar, of the Kissan Sabha.
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According to the organisers, the convention will focus on the challenges faced by locals due to unscientific hill cutting, inadequate compensation, and disruptions caused by the companies involved in the highway’s construction. The residents of Chamyana and Dhalli areas have particularly raised concerns over safety hazards following reckless excavation and dumping practices. The collapse of a five-storey building in Sanjay Van (Bhattakufar), allegedly due to the actions of construction firm Gawar Company, has become a glaring example of the growing risks. Several other houses in the area were evacuated due to emerging cracks and structural instability. Similarly, in Lindi Dhar of Dhalli panchayat, residents were forced to vacate two to three homes following similar damage linked to the construction work.
The Himachal Kisan Sabha alleges that firms such as Gawar, S.P. Singla, and Bharat Company have failed to provide adequate compensation to those affected by the ongoing development. The group has also raised concerns about illegal mining, blocked local roads, and the lack of employment opportunities for local youth, despite the promise of 80 percent local recruitment.
The Sabha has called upon affected families from all listed panchayats to attend the convention in large numbers to voice their grievances and press for united action. Organisers say that only through collective participation can meaningful solutions to these long-standing issues be pursued.
The event is being seen as a major step towards mobilising rural voices impacted by infrastructural development in the hill state.
