The Fingari-Kaloantha Ambulance Road Blocked for Years, High Court Comes Down Hard on State Govt's Delay.. Court ordered Restoration of Road in three months time.
Shimla: After six years of public outcry over blocked access to a crucial ambulance road in Jubbal, the Himachal Pradesh High Court finally swung into action.
The court, presided by Acting Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Satyen Vaidya, pulled up the authorities for dragging their feet on reopening a link road blocked during road-widening operations.
In a decisive ruling, the bench directed the state government to realign the ambulance road connecting several villages to the main highway at Sundali —an essential lifeline for the residents of four panchayats in Jubbal Tehsil.
Leading the charge was advocate Kameshwar Dhaulta, who fought relentlessly for the petitioners, Devinder Mokhta and others.
Dhaulta’s legal battle forced the state to respond to mounting public frustration over the blocked access.
During the widening of the Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road from 2014 to 2018, the road height increased by five meters in places, leaving the local link road completely blocked.
Yet, despite the urgency, the authorities sat on their hands, and villagers were left stranded.
In court, Executive Engineers Balbir Singh from the B&R Division, Jubbal, and Ravi Kapoor from NH, Theog, confirmed the delay.
They outlined a new proposal to realign the link road within the remaining road width, but only after raising a protective breast wall to prevent imminent risk to nearby houses.
The court ordered this work to be completed within three months, directing the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Jubbal and DSP Rohru to ensure the local administration fully cooperates with the efforts.
Adding pressure, the bench made it clear that any interference with the project will be treated as contempt of court.
The state government and MoRTH officials were instructed to jointly oversee progress, with a key meeting scheduled for November 4, 2024, to ensure the project stays on track.
"The villagers have waited long enough," Dhaulta emphasized, terming the court’s verdict a win for the people.
