Ludhiana-based activists oppose location of proposed industrial park during hearing

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 10

Opposing the location of the proposed modern industrial park near Mattewara in Ludhiana district, city- based activists and members of a public action committee (PAC) on Wednesday attended the hearing and submitted objections at the office of the Chief Town Planner (CTP), Punjab, in Mohali.

They demanded that no industrial park should be set up near the Mattewara forest and the Sutlej.

In view of the proposed modern industrial park, the CTP, Punjab, had earlier sought objections and suggestions for the proposed amendments in the Master Plan of Ludhiana

Kuldeep Singh Khaira, a member of Public Action Committee, that was formed to save the Mattewara forest, said: “We have submitted a written reply in response to the notice of personal hearing today. It needs to be understood that we should go for industrialisation but not at the cost of the environment. We were surprised to know that PUDA has already sought expression of interests for allotment of plots for the industrial park. The government should first hear the objections instead of inviting interested persons for allotment of plots to set up the industries. The park should not be set up near the forest and the river.”

Dr Amandeep Singh Bains of RBS Roots said: “Many civil society organisations and individual persons were opposing the government’s proposal to set up the industrial park. It will pose a threat to the forest, wildlife and the Sutlej.”

An activist, Jaskirat Singh, said: “We had received a letter about the scheduled hearing on objections on March 10 at the office of the Chief Town Planner, Punjab, in Mohali. Before the hearing, we had checked the government website and found that the proposed modern industrial park is already being advertised and expression of interests have been sought for plots of sizes up to 50 acres. Such process has been started without the completion of the hearing process and redressal of objections. Moreover, the objections were sought without providing any detail of the project plan. It seems that the hearings were mere an eyewash.”

‘Proposed park already being advertised’

An activist, Jaskirat Singh, said: “We had received a letter about the scheduled hearing on objections on March 10 at the office of the Chief Town Planner, Punjab, in Mohali. Before the hearing, we had checked the government website and found that the proposed modern industrial park is already being advertised and expression of interests have been sought for plots of sizes up to 50 acres. Such process has been started without the completion of the hearing process and redressal of objections."

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