Shimla, Dec. 19 -- The Himachal Pradesh High Court has given a free hand to the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) to act against encroachments in the congested Lower Bazaar area, making it clear that action can be taken not only against street vendors but also against shopkeepers found encroaching on public land and drainage channels.
Hearing a suo motu public interest case, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj observed that encroachments in Lower Bazaar pose a serious threat to public safety, particularly in the event of a fire or medical emergency.
The court directed that the area must be kept free of obstructions to ensure the smooth movement of emergency vehicles.
The court...