The residents of Gunehar and surrounding villages in Kangra district are up in arms against the Himachal Pradesh government over inclusion of their area in the Special Area Development Authority (SADA). The villagers have expressed vehement opposition to what they describe as the government’s wrongful imposition of SADA regulations without any prior consultation with the community.
The villagers argue that the seven revenue villages included in SADA since 2004 have seen no significant development to date. They claim that the government has neither sanctioned funds nor implemented any development plans on the ground, leading to a lack of basic amenities like electricity, water, roads and proper sanitation. The imposition of SADA has only added to their woes, particularly in house construction and other matters.
Feeling betrayed by the recent notification, the residents of Gunehar panchayat, along with neighbouring villages Bharag, Bhattu Upper, Bhattu Lower and Godhnala, have submitted a memorandum to the SADA Chairman and the Town and Country Planning Department. They have demanded the immediate withdrawal of the notification, arguing that their villages, located 6-7 km away from the paragliding landing site, should not be part of SADA as they do not benefit from the paragliding events or related tourism.
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Prominent RTI activist and social worker Rajinder Kapoor, a resident of Gunehar panchayat, has taken the matter further by seeking detailed information from the department under the Right to Information Act. Kapoor has asked for a full account of the funds sanctioned by the government over the last 20 years for the development of the Bir Billing special area. He has demanded transparency regarding the income and expenditure related to these funds, as well as a report on SADA’s achievements over the past decade.
Kapoor has questioned whether the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department is fulfilling the definition of SADA as outlined in the TCP Act, particularly in the context of visible urbanisation in the Bir Billing special area. He has challenged the government to justify the continued imposition of SADA in the absence of any tangible development budget or plan.
The residents, led by Panchayat Pradhan Anjana Kapoor and Vice Pradhan Duni Chand, have made it clear that if the government fails to provide satisfactory answers and withdraw the notification, they will intensify their protests, including roadblocks and other forms of civil disobedience. The protesters recently met MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Kishori Lal, who acknowledged the validity of their concerns and assured them of raising the issue with the Chief Minister to seek a resolution.
