Colonisers gobble up irrigation dept land, say contractors

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 23

Majority of the colonies situated alongside Ajnala, Loharka and Fategarh Churian roads have gobbled up land meant for a canal networking to irrigate land, say construction contractors.

Deep Davinder Singh, a construction contractor, who has been constructing residential and commercial buildings on the stretch for over three decades, said the Lahore branch canal used to pass behind these colonies which made the land more fertile.

“Smaller units of the canal, like Khal and Paye, which were used to deliver water for irrigating fields, were usurped by land sharks while cutting residential colonies on these highways,” he claimed. It is tough to bring out the scam as land registration documents do not show the exact location of land where houses have been built. Those plots were sold at a relatively less price, he added.

It has impacted villages, including Gumtala, Meera Kot, Mahal, Raja Sansi, besides many other falling on the stretch from Amritsar to Ajnala tehsil.

Satwant Singh, another contractor, said many power lines passed over the plots, which were actually laid to provide electricity to tubewells in the fields, still remain intact. These power lines pose risk to residents. Proper sewerage disposal is missing in some colonies, causing harassment to its dwellers, he added.

Deepti Uppal, Chief Administrator, Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA), said since the canal network belongs to the Irrigation Department, they must look into the status of their assets. “They must let PUDA know about it so that an inquiry can be conducted,” she said.