Himachal Pradesh today issued notices to the Chief Secretary

Vijyender Sharma

  Shimla.  September 7, 2021

            The High Court of Himachal Pradesh  today issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary(PWD) to the Government of H.P.,  Deputy Commissioner, Una, Sub Divisional Magistrate of Amb,   and Temple Officer of Mata Chintpurni Temple at Una,  in a matter related to non-availability  of parking at Talwara Bye-pass Road, near the Mata Chintpurni Temple in District Una.

Division Bench comprising the Acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed these orders on a petition taken up suo moto by the Court as Public Interest Litigation on a letter addressed to the Chief Justice by one Vijay Singh.  The petitioner has alleged that Mata Shri Chintpurni Temple is one of richest temples having high income and  there are two main roads leading to Chintpurni, one from Bharwain through new Bus Stand towards the temple and the other from Talwara, Dasua and other big cities of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, through Shitla Mata Temple to Chintpurni Temple. He has alleged that there are two parkings available on the former road, which fall in District Kangra, but there is no parking for the vehicles coming from the other road, which falls in District Una, so people coming from this road, park their vehicles near the temple, causing a traffic jam.  He has also alleged that few years ago, on account of absence of parking near the Temple at Talwara Bye-pass, an ambulance was stranded in the traffic jam, due to which a young man lost his life. He has further alleged that  the situation of traffic jam is still frequent and serious. He has also alleged that on account of non-availability of parking, both devotees as well as local residents, are facing problems.  He has  alleged that police department also asked the temple administration in writing to construct a parking,   resolutions to this effect were also passed by many Gram Panchayats,  the representatives of Gram Panchayats and local residents also brought the problem to the notice of the temple administration, Ministers  of H.P., etc.  and   the situation was also highlighted by local newspapers for many years, but nothing has been done till date.  He has alleged that the Hon'ble High Court  also passed directions in the year 2008 to construct parking near the temple, but the orders have not been complied yet.  The petitioner has prayed for issuing directions to the temple administration for construction of the parking at Talwara by pass near to the temple in a time bound manner so that  lakhs of devotees and local residents may not face problem  of traffic jam.

The Court posted the matter after four weeks  and directed the respondents to file their reply by next date.