Don’t include Garhshankar in proposed Sri Anandpur Sahib dist, locals urge govt

Amid ongoing discussions about creating a new district for Sri Anandpur Sahib, the residents of the Garhshankar Assembly constituency have strongly opposed the inclusion of the segment in the proposed district of Sri Anandpur Sahib.

Representatives from various political parties, trade associations and social organisations, led by Darshan Singh Mattoo, sent a memorandum to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann through the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Jai Krishan Singh Rouri.

In the memorandum, the locals have demanded that the Punjab Government should not include Garhshankar subdivision in the new proposed district of Sri Anandpur Sahib.

They said that the subdivision was an integral part of Hoshiarpur district. Keeping in mind the sentiments of the people as well as the historical, administrative and economic perspectives, the Garhshankar constituency should remain within the Hoshiarpur district, they asserted in the memorandum.

Addressing the issue, the Deputy Speaker said he would forward this memorandum to the CM. However, he clarified that the Punjab Government had no proposal to make Sri Anandpur Sahib a district and include the Garhshankar constituency within it.

He said even if the government intended to make Sri Anandpur Sahib a district in the future, it would be done only after consultation with the people of the constituency.

SGPC members Dr Jang Bahadur Singh Rai, Subhash Mattoo, Congress leaders Kulwinder Bittu and Sarita Sharma, along with representatives from various political parties and leaders from the Garhshankar Chamber of Commerce and social organisations were also present on the occasion.