Khushwant Singh track in Kasauli, local admin clueless about jurisdiction (original) (raw)

While lakhs of tourists visiting Kasauli every year are well aware of the connection this small hill station has with the renowned author and journalist Khushwant Singh, rarely people are aware that there is a 12-km nature walk trail named after him too.

Inaugurated in 2016 by the then Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh during the 5th Annual Khushwant Singh Literary fest in Kasauli, Khushwant Singh track, a nature walk, that starts where the Heritage Market almost ends till Kalka is in shambles, thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of the Solan administration.

While the administration claims that the track falls under the Kasauli Cantonment Board, the latter said that it is only the sanitation part of the trail that falls under them. The Cantonment Board claims the responsibility of the repair works lies with the Solan administration.

Talking to The Indian Express, Rahul Singh, son of the late author said, “Kasauli is synonym to Khushwant Singh with the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival happening every year for the past 12 years having brought this hill station on the tourist map and so many dignitaries, known personalities of the country, actors, and politicians. It feels sad and is a matter of shame to see the state of affairs of the track, which is is in shambles with rarely anyone even knowing that there exists such a trail too in the name of Khushwant Singh in Kasauli”.

He said that at least the Congress government, which currently holds power in the state, should respect the sentiments of the late CM and also his father. “I am shocked that the entire nature walk track is full of rubbish everywhere and it is a shame on the part of whoever is responsible for maintaining this track. Despite writing several times to the Solan administration, they have always slept over the issue and I have never got any response from their side,” Rahul further said.

The son of the late author said that his father was very close to his state, and stressed that Himachal would not have been a centre of literature had Khushwant Singh’s association would not exist with it.

“People should respect the state, the ecology and the flora and fauna of the place, about which my father used to write a lot during his times. There was a time when I, as a kid along with my father, used to go to Kasauli Manki Point, where he used to show the rare Golden Eagles that used to nest there in those days. All have gone extinct now, courtesy the attitude of the administration towards maintaining and preserving the ecology of this hill station,” he added.

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He said that he has written so many messages along with the pictures of the condition of the train from various residents and plans to write it again. “By treating the Khushwant Singh Track like this, the administration is bringing a bad name to this hill state of Kasauli,” Rahul added.

When contacted, a senior official of the Kasauli Cantonment Board, requesting anonymity said that it is just responsible only for the sanitation of the track. “Our sanitation staff cleans the area three times a day. As far as the repair and maintenance of the trail is concerned, it is the PWD department of Solan that is responsible for the same,” the official claimed.

When asked about the poor sanitation of the trail with rubbish all around especially when the cantonment board is carrying out the “Swachhta Abhiyan” for the past several weeks, giving wide publicity at different social media platforms, he said: “Our area for maintaining the sanitation part of the trail is only till village Mashobra and if it is felt that the cleaning is not properly done, we will again send our men and get it cleaned”.

Talking to The Indian Express, PWD, XEN, Kasauli, Ranjan Gupta said that the funds for the repair for the track comes from the special fund called the DC Fund of the Solan Deputy Commissioner. “It was last repaired in 2015, after which no one repaired it. We did send an estimate of Rs 11 lakh to the DC, Solan, in May, but we have not received any funds for the same till now,” Gupta said.

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While Deputy Commissioner, Solan, Manmohan Sharma was not available for comments, ADC, Solan, Ajay Yadav was not sure if the area fall under Solan administration. “If it is under us, then we will check and get things executed. In fact there is no coordination of the officers of the Cantonment Board with the district administration and depends on the CEO posted in the board. If they are good in coordinating, then the works of the area around the Cantonment Board can be done, that too after multiple permissions from the defence due to which the work at times gets lingered on. Because of which the administration also cannot focus on areas around it. But if it is under us then we will ensure that the work is done,” Sharma added.

As for the tourists, it is not only an insult to the author. Rohit Jain, a regular tourist to Kasauli said, “It is for the past 15 years that I have been coming to Kasauli with my family, but it was now that I came to know that there is a nature walk with the name of Khushwant Singh. On visiting, the very location is full of rubbish and the condition is so bad, that one cannot even stand there. The public toilets around the trail are stinking and the area is not less than a dumping area”.

He said that it is “sad” that such iconic people, who brought so much name to the hill station are being treated like this. “The ones responsible for this condition should be brought to books by the state government,” Jain added.