Village panchayat passes resolution against land acquisition for Jathiya Devi township near Shimla

Shimla, Jan 15 (PTI) The panchayat of Bagi located in the suburbs of Shimla has unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposed land acquisition for the Jathiya Devi township project near the Jubbarhatti Airport, about 20 km from the Himachal Pradesh capital.

At a special Gram Sabha meeting held on January 10, residents of eight villages, including Chalan, Mashla, Kyargi, Shilaila, Patti, Panjari, Odi and Shilu, demanded immediate withdrawal of the land acquisition proposal.

A copy of the resolution was shared with mediapersons on Thursday.

The Jathiya Devi township project, to be executed by the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA), was conceptualised in 2014 to decongest Shimla.

However, the villagers have opposed the move fearing displacement and loss of livelihoods if their cultivable lands are acquired.

Claiming that the land acquisition would threaten the social, economic and environmental structure of the rural area, the villagers, through the resolution, demanded immediate cancellation of the proposal.

Copies of the resolution have been sent to the governor, chief minister, town and country planning minister, PWD minister, district officials and the social impact assessment unit of the National Green Tribunal.

The villagers have refused to give their consent for land acquisition, claiming the proposal was cleared without the Gram Sabha's approval.

They said they use the land for agriculture and dairy purposes, which form the main source of income for the local population. PTI BPL ARI