Councillors oppose merger of rural areas

Shimla, January 3

Most councillors opposed the proposal to merge rural areas into the Municipal Corporation (MC) in a special house convened to discuss matter here today. The councilors from the areas which were merged with the MC in 2006 were particularly against the decision.

“The MC has not been able to provide facilities to the areas that were merged into the MC in 2006. We are still fighting for sewerage, water, parking, ambulance road, etc,” said Diwakar Sharma, councillor from Majaith. “When the MC doesn’t have enough funds to provide facilities to the areas merged 15 years ago, why it wants to take on additional liabilities”.

Govt only eyeing tax revenue: CPM

The old merged areas are still facing the consequences. The government considers houses in merged areas as illegal and people get water and power connections on commercial rates. The government just wants to generate tax by merging rural areas. —Kuldeep Tanwar, CPM leader

Meanwhile, some councilors felt that the gram sabhas should take the final call on the issue. “No one should be forced to merge with the Municipal Corporation. If the proposal is passed in the gram sabha, only then the government should consider merger of the particular area,” said Simi Nanda, a councillor from Nabha.

Apart from the councillors, the CPM is also opposed to merging rural areas into the MC. “The old merged areas are still facing the consequences of the merger. The government considers houses in merged areas illegal and people get water and electricity connections on commercial rates. The government just wants to generate tax by merging rural areas,” said Kuldeep Tanwar, CPM leader.

“If the government merges the areas forcibly, the CPM will launch an agitation,” said Tanwar.—TNS