Shimla, Feb 3,
In a revelation, Pratap Singh Rana, Up-Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Nandpur in Jubbal Development Block, Shimla district, has been suspended from his post after being caught red-handed encroaching on government land.
The suspension order, issued by Satish Jamwal, District Panchayat Officer, Shimla, comes after a preliminary inquiry found Rana guilty of illegally occupying eight plots of government land in the area.
The illegal Encroachment came to light following a complaint which accused Rana of failing to disclose his encroachment on public property.
The Block Development Officer (BDO) of Jubbal conducted an inquiry and submitted a report on January 20, 2025, revealing that Rana had encroached upon government land in khasra numbers 351, 352/2, 352/3, 352/4, 669, 700, 879, and 975.
Despite being issued a show-cause notice on January 21, 2025, and given five days to respond, Rana’s reply, submitted on January 30, 2025, failed to justify his actions.
The authorities deemed his explanation unsatisfactory, leading to his immediate suspension under Section 145(1)(b) of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, and Rule 142(1)(a) of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (General) Rules, 1997.
In a sternly worded order, Jamwal directed Rana to surrender all belongings of Gram Panchayat Nandpur to the Secretary of the Gram Panchayat immediately.
The suspended Up-Pradhan has the right to appeal the decision before the Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, under Rule 143(1)(d) of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (General) Rules, 1997.
This case is part of a larger anti-encroachment drive being closely monitored by a special inter-departmental committee, operating under court directives to reclaim government land from illegal occupants.
