Shimla, June 25: In what many residents describe as a classic case of bureaucratic absurdity and draconian system, hundreds of families living for decades on Shimla's restricted roads have been forced to obtain permits and pay fees merely to access their own homes.
Fed up with the cumbersome system, a delegation of citizens on Thursday met Deputy Commissioner Shimla Anupam Kashyap and demanded immediate reforms.
This draconian system is prevailing nowhere else in India, where residents including handicapped and infirm. old and the sick are being asked to seek paid permits and paid passes get them back home in their vehicles from outside the city's restricted areas.
The delegation submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting the plight of residents living in Jakhoo, US Club, Benmore, Phingask Estate, Catholic Club, Kalibari, North Bank and upper areas of Kanlog Ward. But most of the brunt is born by the residents of Benmore and Jhakhoo wards.
Despite being permanent residents and taxpayers, they alleged that they continue to face repeated procedural hurdles and financial burdens every time they need vehicular access to their homes.
Leading the delegation, former Benmore Ward Councillor Dr. Kimi Sood said access to one's home is a basic necessity and not a privilege. She pointed out that Benmore Ward has no public transport connectivity, leaving families, school children, senior citizens, patients, women and persons with disabilities to bear the brunt of the restrictions on a daily basis.
The residents argued that while traffic regulation and preservation of Shimla's fragile environment and heritage are important objectives, the existing system has ended up penalising the very people who have lived in these localities for decades.
They questioned the logic of requiring permanent residents to repeatedly obtain permits to enter their own neighbourhoods and homes.
Adding to their concerns is the recent increase in permit and parking charges, which residents say has imposed an unnecessary financial burden on local households.
The delegation maintained that traffic management measures should not come at the cost of residents' fundamental mobility needs.
The memorandum seeks the issuance of long-term resident passes at nominal charges, rationalisation of permit fees, introduction of a single-window clearance system, inclusion of two-wheelers under the permit framework and simplified access for essential service providers and courier personnel.
The residents have also demanded that permanent residents be recognised as a separate category under the restricted road regulations.
The issue has sparked a broader debate over whether policies designed to decongest Shimla are overlooking the daily realities faced by local families.
Residents insist that they fully support efforts to preserve the hill city's heritage and ecology but believe a humane and practical balance must be struck between conservation and citizens' rights.
The delegation questioned the rationale behind the sudden hike, stating that while the government may frame regulations for occasional visitors entering restricted roads, genuine residents should be exempted or charged a nominal fee.
Residents argued that a traffic management system originally designed to regulate tourist and non-essential vehicular movement has gradually turned into a source of torture for the very people who have lived in these localities for generations.
"Why should permanent residents require permission to enter their own neighbourhoods and homes?" was the central question raised before the district administration.
Now the fees have been increased from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 and passes will be issued by the home department at Secretariat, they resented.
"Access to one's home is a fundamental right. The government should not treat residents and tourists alike. Genuine residents should get free or hassle-free access to their homes," said Dr Kimmi Sood.
The delegation also expressed concern over the steep hike in permit and parking charges, saying the increased fees have placed an unnecessary financial burden on local families.
They maintained that access to one's residence is a basic right and should not be subjected to repeated permissions, paperwork and escalating charges.
They also urged the administration to create a separate category for permanent residents under the restricted road regulations.
Many citizens contend that while traffic regulation is necessary, it should not come at the cost of basic civic convenience and residents' rights.
Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap assured the delegation that all concerns would be examined sympathetically and that the administration would consider appropriate measures to address the genuine difficulties being faced by permanent residents.
Their concerns would be conveyed to the state government and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for consideration, he added.
The residents said they were hopeful that the government would review the decision and restore a resident-friendly system that allows local people to access their homes without excessive fees and procedural delays.
The delegation also included Deepak Sood, Pradeep Kukreja, Rajat, Divyapreet Gulati, former Mayor Manoj Kumar, Pankaj Prabhakar, D.D. Sharma,, Harish Malhotra, Sahil Sood and Vijay Gupta, among others.
As the administration reviews the demands, the larger question remains: should citizens living on Shimla's restricted roads continue to seek permits to access their own homes, or is it time to replace red tape with a resident-friendly system that balances traffic management with basic civic rights?
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