Despite fulfilling the criteria, Junga did not get the status of an urban body

 For several years, local residents have been demanding the establishment of Junga Town as an urban body, or Nagar Panchayat, but no government has fulfilled this demand. Although Junga Town meets all the criteria for a Nagar Panchayat, many intellectuals in the city say that considering Junga’s growing population, granting it urban body status has become necessary. Junga’s Pankaj Sen, Rakesh Kumar, Deepak Thakur, Durga Singh, Baburam, and members of the Chamber of Commerce say that all governments have treated Junga step-motherly. During the current government’s tenure, 12 small and large towns in the state have been granted Nagar Panchayat status, including Sangrah in Renuka, Sirmaur. They ask that if Sangrah can be granted Nagar Panchayat status, why is Junga being discriminated against?
According to sources, the current population of Junga town has reached approximately four thousand, including a police battalion, a state-level forensic science lab, a civil hospital, public works, electricity, a tehsil, an ITI, and numerous educational institutions. The city’s sanitation system is at a loss. The Chamber of Commerce conducts sporadic cleaning on its own, and the local Panchayat has no role. There is one toilet at the Junga bus stand. Due to a lack of staff, the toilets remain filled with filth.
Locals said that during their visit to Junga in 2020, former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and former Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj announced that the town would be granted Nagar Panchayat status, but this was not implemented until 2022. They also say that despite a cabinet minister representing the Kasupanti constituency, Junga and Koti have yet to receive urban body status. Buildings are being constructed in the city at will, and the town is not governed by the Town Planning Act.