The controversy erupted when lawyers, upset over being prevented from using the sealed road without valid permits, began stopping vehicles passing through the restricted stretch and checking whether they possessed the required permissions. Whenever a vehicle was found using the road without a valid permit, the lawyers demanded that police issue challan on the spot.
Among the vehicles stopped during the protest was one carrying former Congress state president Pratibha Singh, who is also the mother of PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh. Police later confirmed that the vehicle was challaned for using the sealed road without a valid permit. Vehicles belonging to a senior police officer and a senior bureaucrat were also reportedly fined after being found without the necessary permits.
The lawyers later intensified their agitation by staging a protest outside the Secretariat. The demonstration continued for more than two hours and severely affected traffic movement on the Circular Road, one of Shimla’s key routes. Slogans were raised against the government, while commuters faced long delays as traffic came to a standstill.
High Court Bar Association president Hamender Chandel said the protest was triggered by increasing restrictions on lawyers using sealed and restricted roads to reach court premises. He claimed there had been an understanding that lawyers would not be stopped as they regularly use these roads for professional purposes. However, in recent weeks, lawyers were allegedly warned that their vehicles would be challaned if they lacked permits, while politicians and senior bureaucrats continued to use the roads.
The agitation ended only after Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met representatives of the lawyers and assured them that a mechanism would be developed to facilitate their access.
According to Chandel, the Chief Minister agreed to issue passes to lawyers with regular practice in the High Court and expressed confidence that the facility would not be misused. The issue comes amid the government’s decision during the Budget Session to increase the permit fee for restricted and sealed roads from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000.
Meanwhile, the police have registered a case against the protesters for obstructing public way, disobeying lawful orders and creating public inconvenience. According to the police, despite the availability of designated sites for assembly, the demonstrators gathered in the restricted area, disrupted traffic in and around the Secretariat and caused hardship to residents and commuters.
The Baisakhi Sale Plan offers an excellent value of 2 years of subscription + 6 months complimentary.
If you proceed with this purchase, your current monthly subscription plan will be immediately cancelled.