Paragpur, First heritage village of Himachal Pradesh, lacks facilities.

July 5, 2022

Paragpur, the first heritage village of the Himachal Pradesh located in the foothills of the Dhauladhars in the Kangra valley near Dehra Gopipur, 70 km from Palampur.
The village got the heritage village tag 25 years ago but no development has taken place there.
This village reflects the essence of an earlier era. Mature buildings, fine work, remarkable architecture and old shops are the core of the heritage zone. But with the passage of time, some of the historic buildings are decaying.
In 1997, the state government had promised to come out with a master plan for the development of the village. A high-level committee was also constituted to submit its report to the government so that it could be developed as a major tourist destination, particularly for foreigners.
However, no headway was made and the condition of the village turned from bad to worse. Most streets are in poor shape, water is overflowing on roads, there is no arrangement to clean the roads and streets regularly.
Paragpur is also a shooting spot for many Punjabi and Hindi movies.
This heritage zone can give a boost to tourism if the government takes care of historic monuments which are on the verge of collapse
Villagers say that the government should set up a development board for the upkeep of the village. The board should have members from the area and also from the Sood community, whose ancestors are said to have built this village.