Residents of Solan are up in arms as the town has not been granted municipal corporation status despite registering the highest growth rate.
The town has a population of 39,000 and a growth rate of 57 per cent was registered in the town as per the last census.
This was not only the highest rate of population growth in the state, but was also indicative of the large urban activity underway in the town.
Peeved at this discrimination, local BJP leaders led by Pawan Gupta, vice-president, municipal committee, today submitted a memorandum to the state government through the Deputy Commissioner.
Gupta said it was unjust to deny municipal corporation status to the town and it reflected the bias of the state government.
He said it proved that Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma was only focusing on his constituency and had failed to represent the entire state.
The failure to get municipal corporation status had brought to the fore the stepmotherly treatment being meted out to Solan. The town had earlier lost a Block Development Office to Doon and was not included in the smart city list.
Sunil Kumar, an insurance professional, termed it as utter disregard of residents. He said the state government was quick to enforce regulatory measures like norms of Town and Country Planning Department in areas being developed in the town, but could not plead for granting municipal corporation status.
When contacted, local MLA and Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment DR Shandil said municipal corporation status for the town would be announced soon as he had been taking up the issue with the minister concerned.
He said it was unfortunate that Solan was not granted this status along with Dharamsala and any delay was uncalled for. He said he would raise the issue of inclusion of the town in the smart city list and meet the Central authorities to enquire where the town lagged behind despite fulfilling criteria.
The town has a population of 39,000 and a growth rate of 57 per cent was registered in the town as per the last census.
This was not only the highest rate of population growth in the state, but was also indicative of the large urban activity underway in the town.
Peeved at this discrimination, local BJP leaders led by Pawan Gupta, vice-president, municipal committee, today submitted a memorandum to the state government through the Deputy Commissioner.
Gupta said it was unjust to deny municipal corporation status to the town and it reflected the bias of the state government.
He said it proved that Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma was only focusing on his constituency and had failed to represent the entire state.
The failure to get municipal corporation status had brought to the fore the stepmotherly treatment being meted out to Solan. The town had earlier lost a Block Development Office to Doon and was not included in the smart city list.
Sunil Kumar, an insurance professional, termed it as utter disregard of residents. He said the state government was quick to enforce regulatory measures like norms of Town and Country Planning Department in areas being developed in the town, but could not plead for granting municipal corporation status.
When contacted, local MLA and Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment DR Shandil said municipal corporation status for the town would be announced soon as he had been taking up the issue with the minister concerned.
He said it was unfortunate that Solan was not granted this status along with Dharamsala and any delay was uncalled for. He said he would raise the issue of inclusion of the town in the smart city list and meet the Central authorities to enquire where the town lagged behind despite fulfilling criteria.
