Plot allottees seek CM’s intervention

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, August 14

Allottees of residential plots in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar have sought the intervention of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh in the alleged failure of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) to ensure the area’s development. The applicants were allotted the plots after 36 years.

The allottees, including Ranjit Singh, Davinder Kumar, SS Bal, GK Singh, Avtar Kaur and others, have urged the Deputy Commissioner to allow them to meet the Chief Minister’s who will be here to attend a state-level Independence Day function on Wednesday.

The allottees said the residential plots, measuring 125 square yards, in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar were allotted to them in 1982 but due to the acquisition of land for the City Centre project (abandoned now), the allotment letters were withheld with a commitment that alternative plots would be allotted to them on same terms and conditions.

The alternate plots were allotted to the applicants on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2012 and after much procedural hassles, the allottees were given possession of the plots in an un-developed pocket in D block of the colony in 2016.

“The allotted land is under the unlawful possession of one Gajjan Singh and his family,” said an allottee, adding that even after the stay order issued by the High Court, the LIT had failed to take possession of the land.

They said since the land was under encroachment, development works, including laying of sewer and water lines, construction of roads and streets and providing street lights, were taken up nor the allottees were in a position to start the construction of houses even after paying a part of the cost of land and subsequent installments.

“Our repeated communications and personal meetings with officials concerned have failed to yield any result. We are hopeful that the Chief Minister would intervene ask LIT authorities to take necessary action,” said Ranjit Singh.

LIT Superintending Engineer RK Garg said the trust had made a formal request to the Police Commissioner to provide adequate force for the eviction of unlawful occupant from this site. “Once the encroachment is removed, the LIT would undertake internal development works,” he added.

Case history

Allottees said residential plots, measuring 125 square yards, in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar were allotted to them in 1982, but due to the acquisition of land for the City Centre project, the allotment letters were withheld with a commitment that alternative plots would be allotted to them on same terms and conditions. 

The alternate plots were allotted to the applicants on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2012 and after much procedural hassles, the allottees were given possession of the plots in an un-developed pocket in D block of the colony in 2016.