Shimla, Jun 2 (PTI): Traffic came to a standstill on Cart road (circular road), the lifeline of Shimla town, on Tuesday for over three hours as hundreds of lawyers held a protest outside the Secretariat against the permit rules for sealed roads.
The advocates protested against the state government’s decision to prohibit the entry of vehicles on sealed roads within the town without a proper permit, and the hike in the permit fee.
The protesters raised anti-government slogans and demanded the intervention of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in the matter. Meanwhile, the police booked some individuals for blocking the public thoroughfares and causing nuisance.
Vehicles are not allowed on sealed and restricted roads without a permit.
Most of the sealed and restricted roads connect the heart of the city, the Mall Road, from various points in Shimla.
Some of these roads are Navbahar to Ridge, Chhota Shimla to the Mall and Ridge, IGMC to Ridge, AG Office to CTO and Boileauganj to Vidhan Sabha via the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS).
Earlier, advocates’ vehicles were allowed on the sealed road from Chota Shimla to the High Court and Boileauganj to Vidhan Sabha via the IIAS.
Advocate Sheetal Vyas told the PTI that the bar association of the High Court used to issue passes to lawyers for a nominal amount to move on sealed roads.
“But since last week, our vehicles have been stopped (by the authorities), and we were told to apply for permits from the Home department,” Vyas added.
The rates of permits have been increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000-Rs 15000, she said, adding that now the government has said that the High Court would issue a list of active lawyers who would be issued passes on nominal rates.
Earlier this year, during the budget session, the state government hiked the permit fees for vehicle entry on sealed roads to Rs 10,000 from Rs 2,500. The government also made permits mandatory for lawyers using the sealed roads, which irked them and led to today’s protest.
The private vehicle of the state’s Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh, along with several other VIP vehicles, was fined as the lawyers stopped several cars plying on the sealed road to check their permits.
Former MP and Congress leader Pratibha Singh, who is also Singh’s mother, was travelling in the vehicle when the advocates stopped it.
When lawyers found several vehicles without a valid permit, they insisted that police issue challans. Vehicles belonging to a senior police officer and a government officer were also fined.
The general public faced inconvenience, especially those who had to pick up their children from school. Police also appealed to the people to use alternative roads while the lawyers kept protesting.
Videos of parents requesting advocates to allow public transport to move so that they could pick up their children from school also went viral on the internet.
Police said in a statement issued here that a case has been registered against some individuals under relevant sections of the BNS for obstructing public thoroughfares, disobeying lawful orders and causing public nuisance.
Preliminary investigations revealed that despite the availability of designated protest sites, the demonstrators gathered and protested within a restricted zone. This action disrupted traffic flow in the Secretariat and surrounding areas, causing distress to ordinary citizens.
The investigation is ongoing, and necessary legal action, as per established norms, will be initiated against all individuals found culpable during the inquiry, police added. PTI COR BPL AMJ AMJ
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
