Vegetable market likely to be shifted from Vallah

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 12

Punjab Mandi Board is likely to look for new site to relocate the wholesale vegetable and fruit market from Vallah as no construction can be carried out near the Army’s ammunition depot.

Deputy Commissioner KS Sangha said that a meeting was held with Army officials recently in which the latter threw light on the defence security issues owing to which no structure could be raised in the prohibited area of the depot falling in the market. A large portion of the market in Vallah falls within a periphery of the ammunition depot.

The DC said he would write to the Western Command soon to seek permission for repair and laying of new roads in the market.

Rajinder Pal Singh, Estate Officer, Mandi Board, said, “Keeping in view the uncertainty over Sabji Mandi, four sites have been identified. Of these, one site of 30 acres near Vallah was selected but discarded later as the entry point was through a garbage dump.”

He said a new site of at least 100 acres would be located to set up the market. It would require a huge amount of funds for land acquisition, rehabilitation, compensation and others factors.

It is worth mentioning that the issue of ammunition dump’s location dates back to 2002, when the civic administration decided to increase the periphery of the city. The Army till then had acquired 122 acres on the bypass. The Army approached the centre and a notification banning any construction within a 1,000 yards parapet was issued on November 11, 2004.