Year on, areas merged with Solan MC await upgrade of facilities

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, April 7

The residents of the merged areas in the Solan Municipal Corporation (MC) are awaiting the upgrade of facilities nearly one and a half years after the merger from the panchayats.

A population of 8,162 was added from eight panchayats to the Solan Municipal Council to enable upgrade to a Municipal Corporation with the population then reaching 47,418 in October 2020.

Half of tax exemption period over

• Facilities such as door-to-door collection of garbage for solid waste management and assured water supply are key facilities which are required to be provided in these areas.
• The residents had opposed the merger due to the levy of taxes. Though the residents of the merged areas have been exempted from taxes for three years, over a year has already passed.

The residents had opposed the upgrade due to the levy of taxes, though the residents of the merged areas have been exempted from taxes for three years.

The residents of the merged areas were promised improved facilities but the pace of progress is disappointing. Facilities such as door-to-door collection of garbage for solid waste management and assured water supply are key facilities which are required to be provided in these areas.

These facilities were supposed to spruce up the merged areas which were hitherto under the panchayats. These eight panchayats — Anji, Kotho, Chambaghat, Saproon, Padag, Basal, Salogra and Kather — are yet to benefit from the merger.

Solan MC Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said facilities such as solid waste management, adequate water availability, upgrade of roads, etc. would be undertaken in the merged areas. No funds have, however, been received for these areas to undertake specific developmental activities from the government till now.

A sum of Rs 1 crore was granted to each newly created MC when they were created in 2020. This fund was supposed to be utilised for various works even as no specific fund was set aside for the merged areas.

Villagers wondered how the state government, which had promised a slew of facilities after the merger, had failed to address even the basic infrastructural needs like quality roads, streetlights, footpaths etc. With a large number of residents pursuing agricultural activities, the presence of good roads and water can help them enhance their income.

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