Traders oppose shopping complex
Anirudh Gupta
Ferozepur, September 28
Local traders have locked horns with GLADA (Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority) over the construction of a shopping complex on the old civil hospital premises here.
Satpal Bajaj, vice-president, Beopar Mandal, said instead of constructing shops on the land, the government should build a park as the town didn’t have enough green area. Bajaj said the traders were already battling a financial crisis, and the shopping complex would hit their business.
Ashwani Grover, president, municipal council (MC), said till 1977 the land belonged to the MC. However, it was later transferred to the Health Department regarding which there is no documentation available. Grover said it would be better if the area was utilised to construct a parking lot as there was little parking space in the city.
The traders have now served a legal notice to PUDA and the district administration, asking them to cancel the auction and utilise the land for public utility only.
Earlier, the civil hospital was shifted to the Housing Board Colony. Thereafter, 21 kanals were transferred to GLADA under the OUVGL scheme (optimum utilisation of vacant government land). Later, the old hospital structure was demolished. GLADA then under the aegis of PUDA decided to build 20 shops and 16 shop-cum-offices on the land. On September 3, GLADA had to cancel an auction of the shops after traders lodged a strong protest.
Meanwhile, GLADA has again issued an advertisement for the auction of the shops and the SCOs on the land on October 16.
