Ex-servicemen front seeks district status for Sarkaghat

They said that ex-servicemen and residents of Sarkaghat, Baldwara and adjoining areas faced difficulties because of the considerable distance from the Mandi district headquarters. Many areas were located 70 km to 80 km from Mandi, making visits to district offices time-consuming and expensive.

The leaders said that the proposed district would cover a predominantly hilly and agricultural region comprising around 45 gram panchayats and 300 villages, with a population of nearly two lakh. The area extends towards Kuthera in Bilaspur district and Jahu in Hamirpur district. Limited public transport and inadequate road connectivity had compounded the difficulties faced by residents, they said.

The leaders also highlighted the difficulties faced by the residents of Sandhol and Dharampur, which are relatively close to Sarkaghat but far from the district headquarters. They said that the distance and inadequate transport facilities affected access to administrative services and the participation of the residents in district-level meetings and development-related activities.

Capt Verma said that the association had submitted representations to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh two to three years ago, seeking intervention for the creation of Sarkaghat as a district but no concrete action followed.

He said that the last major reorganisation of the state had taken place in 1968, when Dr YS Parmar was Chief Minister. Since then, the region’s population had increased considerably, making a fresh assessment of administrative boundaries necessary, he added.

The association believed that granting the district status to Sarkaghat would accelerate development, improve residents’ access to government offices and reduce the administrative workload at the Mandi district headquarters.

Capt Verma said that a delegation of ex-servicemen would meet the commission Chairman in person to press for their demand.