According to the residents' complaint, the cost of the land runs into crores and hence, the SGPC should not hurt the sentiments of Sikhs by giving it for road widening. (Representational)The Shiromani Akali Dal Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has written to Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh declaring that the SGPC will “not get even an inch” of their land to be acquired for a proposed road widening project from Sidhwan Canal to Sunview Enclave in Ayali Kalan village of Ludhiana.
This reaction came two weeks after the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) wrote to Punjab State Power Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) to give them an estimate of shifting HT lines and 66KV lines near F2 Raceway South City from Sidhwan Canal to Sunview Enclave.
GLADA plans to widen this 2.32 km long road to a 100-ft as per a master plan. Hence, apart from shifting of electricity lines, even land acquisition also needs to be done to widen the approach road which will ultimately reduce traffic congestion. However, nearly 18,728 sq. yards of SGPC land stands in the way of the road widening. The land was donated to the SGPC several years ago.
Residents of Ayali Kalan village have written to the CM as well as the president of the SGPC about the proposed road widening project, and have asked them to investigate. According to their complaint, the cost of the land runs into crores and hence, the SGPC should not hurt the sentiments of Sikhs by giving it for road widening. They claimed that the proposed project will benefit private colonisers of Sunview Enclave and hence SGPC should not let the donated land be acquired for this project. Villagers have even put up boards at various locations, which say: ‘Owner SGPC, Village Ayali Ludhiana.’
Speaking to The Indian Express, SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said, “We have written to the CM that we will not be giving even an inch of land for this project and will decide about using this land after consulting with the Sangat.”
Meanwhile, there is a question mark over whether GLADA asked PSTCL for an estimation of electricity wire shifting much before getting a formal nod from SGPC for the land.
Jagjit Singh Grewal, coloniser of Sunview Enclave, said, “How come I am connected to any road widening project? It is a baseless allegation. GLADA needs to be consulted by the town planning department when they plan such projects for the city at large and not for a particular project.”
Additional Commissioner Administrator (ACA), GLADA, Bhupinder Singh, said, “The road widening project is in the pipeline as of now, but I have not seen any complaint submitted by villagers or anyone else as no one approached me regarding this. If any complaint has come to my office, I will look at it on Monday.”
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