Dharamsala to get Circuit Bench of Himachal High Court and Administrative Tribunal

Dharamshala, January 1, 2013: The Urban Development Minister of Himachal, Sudhir Sharma said, “The Central University of Himachal was given to Dharamsala in 2007 by Sonia Gandhi and it shall be set up in Dharamsala only.”

Addressing a press conference here today, Sharma said, “It is a policy decision of Congress party and accordingly the temporary study centre of University, which is working at Shahpur shall also be Shifted to Dharamsala.”

He said that there is no scarcity of land in the area for this project as indicated by previous government. He said that the project is already 5 years late and shall be started in the city at the earliest.

The project was remained in doldrums as the previous Dhumal led government in Himachal said that the enough land is not available in Dharamsala and thus the 60% of the project should be shifted to Dehra 45 kms from Dharamsala. The Congress lobby objected this on the grounds that BJP government intensions are to shift it to Dehra is just to give weight age to Anuraag Thakur son of PK Dhumal  and  MP from Hamirpur . The project thus could not move a bit. Although the first Vice Chancellor of this university   Professor Furqan Qamar, was appointed way back in December 2009.  The University took on priority the issues concerning the identification of sites. Accordingly, the Central Site Selection Committee visited the sites proposed by the State Government in Dharamsala and Dehra, but nothing was done. A small study unit of the university is working in Shahpur with an administrative office in a rented building in Dharamsala .

The Urban Development minister said that a Circuit Bench of High Court and an Administrative Tribunal shall be set up in Dharamsala as it is an important city of the state. Dhumal government closed down the administrative Tribunal working in Dharamsala, Mandi and Shimla 5 years back.

He said that Dharamshala-Mecleodganj Bypass shall be completed on war footing to give relief to Kotwali Bazar Traffic congestions in Dharamsala.

Later, he laid a wreath at the war memorial of the city.

He said that Vir Bhadra Singh is addressing a Thanksgiving Rally on January 7 at Dharmasala.

He told that three Independent MLAs Balbir Vema  of Choupal, Karnesh Jung of Ponta Sahib and Manohar Dhiman of  Indoura are made associate member of Congress in lieu of their written request.