Urban Estate residents seek road as per guiding map

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 30

Residents of the Urban Estate Phase-1 have been demanding a road to be built behind houses No. 1 and 8, as depicted on a guiding map put up at various roads in the area.

A delegation of the residents met with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) halqa in-charge Surinder Singh Sodhi and submitted a memorandum outlining their demands. The residents also submitted a photograph of the guiding map along with the memo.

The residents said they had purchased different built-houses and plots as per the guiding map, in which there is a road behind house Nos. 1 and 8, but in reality, it is a reserved land. Thus, they have been demanding that the Jalandhar Development Authority (JDA) build a road there.

“Currently, the vacant land behind houses 1-8 is used for a bi-weekly mandi, which results piling up of garbage in the area. Grazing animals also gather on the land, causing further issues for the residents,” rued Harvinder Singh, a resident.

He said they have already filed a Right to Information (RTI) request with the JDA to know the reference of the layout plan the guiding maps have been put up with. “The maps clearly depict a road behind houses 1-8. The guiding maps have only mentioned legends. However, the JDA has already declined the availability of the original layout plan of Urban Estate Phase-1 in its record and when the housing board was established there,” he added.

Residents allege that the JDA had superimposed the original layout plan, which included a road behind their houses, with the new layout plan of 2011, which now shows the land as a reserved land allocated to the Lubana Welfare Society. They further alleged that the JDA did not conduct any feasibility study or objection notification exercise before allocating the land to the other party.

“We have invested a significant amount in purchasing houses in the area, and do not want to lose the privacy as the new building (if constructed behind house No. 1 to 8) will have a common wall with the backyard wall of their houses in the lane,” said another resident, Maninder Singh.

He added that in the memo they have demanded that a road be built in the area behind Houses 1 and 8, just as depicted in the map. Residents claimed that AAP leader Surinder Sodhi has assured them that he would look into the matter, and that their concerns would be addressed on priority.