Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken a stern view of local interference delaying the construction of a strategically crucial road along the Indo-China border. A single bench of Justice Sandeep Sharma directed the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of Kinnaur district to intervene immediately, halt all obstructions at the site, and provide complete security to the construction firm.
The orders came during the hearing of a petition filed by M/s Brij Gopal Construction Company Private Limited. The firm is constructing a high-altitude strategic road for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) near the Indo-China border. Given national security considerations, completing the project within the stipulated timeframe is essential, with any delay posing potential security risks.
The dispute stems from an incident where debris falling from the mountain during excavation damaged a Jal Shakti Department water storage tank in the river. Following the incident, local residents initiated protests, causing ongoing disruptions to the construction work.
Court records highlight that the construction company went beyond its contractual obligations to maintain peace and resolve the issue. The firm provided materials to build a new water tank and agreed to fund a desilting chamber, a dam/head weir, and approximately 2,400 meters of HDPE pipeline, along with pumps and DG sets at its own expense.
Despite these measures, certain local residents demanded that the contract for constructing the desilting chamber be awarded to an individual of their choice. When this demand was not met, they halted work on the high-priority national project. The company approached the High Court after repeated requests to the local administration failed to yield adequate protection.
Justice Sharma instructed the Kinnaur DC and SP to first attempt a peaceful resolution through dialogue. However, the court directed officials to submit the names and full details of any individuals who refuse to cooperate and continue blocking construction, so formal legal action can be initiated.
The bench emphasized that any non-compliance with the order by the local administration or residents would be treated directly as Contempt of Court. The High Court granted the state government three weeks to file its status report and scheduled the next hearing for October 13, 2026.
