Villagers Protest Road Closure in Mandap Area; BJP Leader Rajat Thakur Joins Call for Action. 

Shimla:

Residents of several villages in the Mandap area of Mandi district are facing severe hardship as the Kaloga Mandap Road and the Chowki Pul–Upper Chowki Road have remained closed for the past two months. The blockage has brought vehicular movement to a complete halt, disrupting daily life and leaving villagers cut off from essential services.

Despite repeated complaints, locals allege that no concrete steps have been taken by the concerned department. Neither repair work has started nor has any alternative route been provided. Anger and frustration among villagers are mounting, and they have warned that if the roads are not reopened within a week, they will gherao the office of the Assistant Engineer (A.E.) of the Public Works Department (PWD).

Local BJP leader Rajat Thakur from the Dharampur assembly constituency has extended his support to the villagers, declaring that he too will join their protest if authorities fail to act. “The government and the department are not taking the people’s problems seriously. If the voice of the villagers is ignored, we will be compelled to take to the streets,” Thakur said.

The road closure has hit villagers hard—students struggle to reach schools, patients face difficulties accessing hospitals, and farmers are unable to transport their produce to markets. Local shopkeepers report that their businesses have almost come to a standstill.

PWD Assistant Engineer Yogesh Kumar stated that repair work on the damaged retaining wall, which collapsed during the monsoon, will start soon and the route is expected to be operational by next week. However, villagers say they have lost faith in such assurances and warned of a strong protest if the deadline is missed.

Local representatives including Murari Lal (Pradhan), Sunil Kumar (Up-Pradhan), and several others were present during the villagers’ meeting.