Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 4 (ANI): The local administration in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla has imposed restrictions on holding public meetings and protests at 10 locations in the capital city of the state.

Invoking powers under Section 6 of the Punjab State Security Act, 1953, District Magistrate (DM) Shimla Anupam Kashyap has issued prohibitory orders restricting public gatherings and activities in several parts of Shimla to maintain public order.

The orders comes in view of upcoming festivals.

The order covers prominent areas, including Chhota Shimla to the Ridge and Kennedy House, Rendezvous Restaurant to Rivoli Cinema for a distance of 150 meters, Scandal Point to Kali Bari Temple, Chhota Shimla Gurudwara to Link Road Chhota Shimla-Kasumpti Road, Chhota Shimla Chowk to Raj Bhavan to Oak Over, Chhota Shimla Gurudwara to Satti Stairs and the walkway to Kasumpti Road, Cart Road to Majitha House Link Road, the AG's Office to Cart Road, and the CPWD.

According to the order, a complete ban has been imposed on holding public meetings, processions, rallies, demonstrations, sloganeering, playing bands, and carrying objects that could be used as weapons within these areas. Restrictions will also apply within 50 meters from the office to the Wide Ground and from the police booth above the Deputy Commissioner's office towards the Lower Market.

The order, however, exempts police, paramilitary, and military personnel performing official duties.

The prohibitory order comes into immediate effect and will remain in force for the next two months.

The order stated that permission for events at the restricted locations must be obtained from the competent authority, and any violation will be punishable under the relevant rules.

Earlier, a video conference meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap was held in Shimla district. The meeting regarding the demarcation of the forest land involved all the Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs).

During the video conference, the Deputy Commissioner said that all the DFOs are required to submit a current status report on forest land within the week. The meeting also highlighted various issues related to the orders of the Supreme Court.

According to these orders, in case of WP 1164/2023, the Supreme Court ordered the states and union territories to take possession of the forest land. The order further mentioned the handover of all the land allotted for non-forest purposes in the possession of the Revenue Department to the Forest Department. Both departments are working under this order across the district.

The meeting held a detailed discussion of the challenges faced in the implementation of the Supreme Court orders. One of the key challenges that emerged was the shortage of staff. To address this, the SDMs have been instructed to develop separate jurisdictions to expedite the implementation of the orders.

District Magistrate Law and Order Pankaj Sharma, District Revenue Officer Sanjeet Sharma, along with all SDMs and DFOs, were present in the meeting. (ANI)