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Illegal construction on, residents seek action

Traffic snarls are a common sight due to the increase in commercial activities and lack of parking arrangements at Model Town in Ludhiana. Tribune Photo: Himanshu Mahajan

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 15

Infuriated over commercial activities in the residential areas, the Model Town Welfare Council of residents raised their voice and demanded from government to do the needful to stop such illegal constructions. The traffic snarls have become a common affair on Model Town roads due to increasing commercial activities, but the Municipal Corporation failed to pay heed to the demand of the residents.

Now, the welfare council members have written to Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh against the commercial activities. President of the council Amarjit Singh Tikka said the illegal commercial activities are rampant these days in Model Town which was the first residential colony developed in the city after 1947.

“Despite this, a designated market was setup at Model Town. Around 60 per cent areas have been illegally converted into commercial zone. During the tenure of the last SAD-BJP government, three roads of Model Town were declared commercial just to benefit a few people. The hospitals and commercial complexes are being constructed in the area by ignoring parking arrangements. Thus, traffic jams have become a major nuisance due to commercial activities,” said Tikka.

Another resident and member of the council demanded from the chief minister to direct Ludhiana MC to stop construction of commercial complexes in the areas as the residents are forced to suffer in routine. “MC should not allow change of land use as residents are opposing the MC’s plan of commercialisation of Model Town’s residential areas. If the government did not listen to us, we will be forced to intensify our agitation and also move the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” he said.

Residents said traffic jams at Mint Ghumri Chowk to Jawaddi Road, Ghulati Chowk and other parts of the area are very common. Assistant town planner at MC’s Zone D, Vijay Kumar said that some parts of model town have been declared commercial. “MC has approved the proposal to make Mint Ghumri Chowk to Ghulati Chowk road commercial,” he said.