Himachal HC questions 760 sealed-road passes issued in a year; orders urgent repair of unsafe ‘Danga’ near DC office
Shimla, Nov 28,
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Wednesday raised serious concern over the sharp rise in sealed-road vehicle passes issued in Shimla, even as it directed the Municipal Corporation to immediately repair a dangerously bulging Danga near the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj, while hearing CWPIL No. 85 of 2025 (Sambhav Bhasin vs State of H.P. & others), took note of fresh affidavits filed by the Superintendent of Police, Shimla, and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home).
760 sealed-road passes issued in one year
The affidavit from the Home Department revealed that around 760 sealed-road passes for private and government vehicles were issued between November 2024 and November 2025 under Section 4 of the Shimla Road Users and Pedestrians (Public Safety and Convenience) Act, 2007.
The Bench reminded the authorities of its earlier order dated 5 September 2025, which had flagged that allowing such a large number of vehicles into restricted areas was making it “difficult for pedestrians to move freely.” It reiterated that the administration must keep these observations in mind while renewing passes from November 2025 onward.
With pedestrian movement already strained in core Shimla, the Court’s remarks are likely to bring renewed focus on why sealed-road exemptions continue to rise despite repeated concerns linked to congestion, misuse of passes, and compromised pedestrian safety.
HC orders urgent rectification of fragile ‘Danga’
The Bench also examined a specific safety issue highlighted in the petition: a dangerously weakened Danga (retaining wall) on the ARTRAC–Ram Bazar road below the DC office. Photographs submitted by the petitioner show the wall bulging outward and at risk of collapse.
Although the Municipal Corporation claimed the Danga belonged to Church authorities, the Court found from the Corporation’s own photographs that the structure stands at a strategic and highly sensitive point, adjacent to a school. A collapse, the Court noted, would threaten children’s safety and block the only access road to the locality.
Directing the Municipal Corporation to maintain and rectify the wall without delay, the Bench emphasised that the safety risk required immediate intervention, irrespective of ownership disputes.
The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on 8 January 2026.
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