Jathiya Devi mountain township: Gram Sabha Bagi passes resolution against land acquisition

Amid mounting opposition to the proposed Jathiya Devi mountain township, the Gram Panchayat Bagi in Shimla (Rural) Saturday passed a resolution by an overwhelming majority and refused to part with any land for the project. The resolution was adopted during a Gram Sabha convened at the Jathiya Devi Panchayat Bhawan by the Panchayat pradhan Naresh Kumar Thakur and up-pradhan Desh Raj.

According to Panchayat representatives, 280 families out of 418 households under Gram Panchayat Bagi signed the resolution opposing the proposed land acquisition.

Gram Panchayat Bagi comprises 11 revenue villages, of which eight have been identified for land acquisition for the proposed township. The identified land includes agricultural holdings, non-agricultural land, common village land (shamlat) and forest land falling within these eight villages. In addition, Manjiyari village — located in Mamlig tehsil in Solan district — has also been marked for acquisition, further expanding the project’s footprint.

“The resolution was passed with a clear and full majority. Although to pass a resolution we need a 1/4 majority of 120 households out of 418 houses… resolution was signed by 280 people… We will hand over this resolution to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani and the concerned officials. Our local MLA from Shimla (Rural) Vikramaditya Singh, who is also PWD and Urban Development Minister, was also expected to attend today’s Gram Sabha meeting but couldn’t due to his Delhi visit. He expressed his full support to our resolution,” said Naresh, pradhan of Gram Panchayat Bagi.

Thakur said, “A long time back, Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) had acquired more than 250 bighas for the mountain township. So far, not a single brick was laid at the acquired land. That land was infertile. But this time, the government says it will acquire agricultural land along with the houses of local residents.”

Locals said the opposition intensified after details of the nature and extent of land acquisition became clear.

“Men and women from almost all households signed the resolution. Some people were initially willing to give their land, but once it became known that agricultural land, shamlat land and forest land — over which villagers have traditional and legal rights — would be acquired, almost everyone decided to oppose the project,” said Bal Krishan, a local resident.

The proposed Jathiya Devi satellite township, estimated to cost around Rs 1,374 crore, is planned under the HIMUDA. Located about 14 km from Shimla city and nearly 2 km from Jubbarhatti Airport, the project has been under discussion since 2014.

However, tensions escalated recently after the officials issued land acquisition notices under Section 5 and Rule 8 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

The notices sought suggestions and objections to the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) study, with a deadline of December 29, 2025.

As per the SIA report, around 249 hectares (approximately 2,959 bighas) of land across eight villages in rural Shimla — Chanan, Panti, Aanji, Shilli Baghi, Majhola, Shilru, Dhanokari and Kyaragi — and one village in Solan were earmarked for potential acquisition. The assessment estimates that 386 households would be directly affected by the project with nearly 158 families likely to face loss of livelihoods.