HP Government to decongest Shimla by shifting offices

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated in the assembly that the Himachal Pradesh Government would decongest Shimla town as it has exhausted horizontal construction and the building of new accommodations for the allotment of offices and residences for government and police officials, ministers, judges, and journalists.

Replying to a query raised by Sanjay Rattan of Congress, the Chief Minister said that there are 47 vacant accommodations with the state estate department; however, most of them are not in a condition to be allotted to anyone. He mentioned that four buildings are under construction, but new accommodations cannot be added in the town due to the exhausted horizontal capacity. The Chief Minister said the government is planning to expand Shimla township vertically and by shifting some offices to other towns in the state that have enough built-up areas for housing them. He also noted that the government has tried to address the issue of transferring accommodations to allow them to be allotted to police officers, government employees, and journalists.

He informed that recently the Himachal Pradesh High Court earmarked state government accommodations for the judiciary, leaving the government with no facilities to allocate these accommodations for other purposes. In response to members’ queries about reserving houses for the Chief Minister, Deputy CM, Council of Ministers, Chief Secretary, DGP, and members of the judiciary and media, he said that due to the High Court’s intervention in the allotment and earmarking of most accommodations, the state government is unable to allocate houses to many officers, who are thus forced to reside in private accommodations.

Accepting the suggestion of members that accommodations should be withdrawn from officers and media persons who have their own houses in the town, he said that the state government would raise the matter with the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court soon so that the vacant accommodations could be transferred for further allotment to more eligible individuals.

Earlier, during the question hour, Sanjay Rattan alleged that many people, officers, and employees earning substantial rental income from their own houses are still occupying government accommodations. He noted that even the Director General of Police is residing in private accommodation due to the mismanagement of state government accommodations and demanded a probe to transfer these houses to employees and officers who are in dire need.