Kandaghat Nagar Panchayat denotification sought by delegation; CM Sukhu says proposal will be examined
Shimla, March 11,
A delegation from the Kandaghat area of Solan district on Wednesday met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and urged the state government to denotify Kandaghat Nagar Panchayat and restore the area to Gram Panchayat status.
The delegation, led by Health and Family Welfare Minister Dhni Ram Shandil, raised the issue during a meeting with the Chief Minister in Shimla. Members of the delegation said that many residents of the area were facing administrative and financial challenges after the area was brought under an urban local body.
Responding to the demand, the Chief Minister assured the delegation that the state government would sympathetically examine the proposal to convert Kandaghat Nagar Panchayat back into a Gram Panchayat.
BJP leader joins Congress with supporters
During the meeting, former Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Sirinagar and BJP leader Gurvinder Singh, along with around 50 supporters, announced their decision to join the Congress party. The induction took place in the presence of the Chief Minister.
The new entrants expressed confidence in the policies and programmes of the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh and said they hoped that development works in the region would gain momentum under the current administration.
They also thanked the Chief Minister for his support to the region and raised various local development issues concerning the Kandaghat area.
Background of the issue
Kandaghat, located in Solan district on the Kalka–Shimla National Highway corridor, was earlier governed under a Gram Panchayat system. In October 2020 , the Himachal Pradesh government upgraded several rural areas into urban local bodies, including creation of Nagar Panchayat Kandaghat as part of a wider administrative restructuring.
The newly created Nagar Panchayat was formed by including areas of Srinagar Gram Panchayat and adjoining localities, and elections were later conducted under the urban local body framework.
However, the decision had drawn objections from some residents even at the time of its formation. Local residents argued that the region had limited population and remained largely agrarian, making the urban local body structure less suitable for the area’s needs.
Some residents also claimed that the change resulted in additional taxes and administrative complexities without significant improvement in civic infrastructure.
Ongoing debate over local governance
The demand to revert Kandaghat back to Gram Panchayat status has surfaced periodically over the past few years, reflecting a broader debate in Himachal Pradesh over whether smaller hill settlements should be governed under rural panchayat systems or urban municipal frameworks.
While urban local bodies are intended to strengthen civic services and urban planning, critics argue that such transitions sometimes occur in areas where population size, revenue base and urban infrastructure remain limited.
With the latest representation submitted to the Chief Minister, the issue may again come under review by the state government.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.