Shaheedi Jor Mela: Despite ban, temporary stalls being set up along road leading to Fatehgarh Sahib gurdwara

Surinder Bhardwaj

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 11

Ahead of Shaheedi Jor Mela, temporary stalls have started coming up on both sides of the road from Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib to Gurdwara Jyoti Saroop Sahib, in violation of an order of the district administration.

On December 6, District Magistrate Parneet Shergill had issued an order under Section 144 of the CrPC banning the setting up of temporary shops/stalls, rehris on both sides of the roads leading to Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib for the convenience of lakhs of devotees, who come from across the world to pay obeisance at the gurdwara.

The contractor setting up the stalls was summoned by the administration for disobeying the order. However, he insisted that he had taken the land on contract for Rs 2.65 crore from the SGPC for a period of one year (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024) to rent out stalls. He furnished a letter issued by the Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib manager in this regard.

Sources said the administration then wrote to the manager, asking him to stop the contractor from setting up stalls till December 31, but did not get any response.

Gurdeep Singh, manager of the gurdwara, said he had got a letter from the administration, but insisted that it was the prerogative of the SGPC to lease out its land and the administration had nothing to do with it. He said the land was leased out to JMD Company, Fatehgarh Sahib, for setting up shops.

Meanwhile, the DC has now written to the SSP to ensure the ban was enforced.

SGPC leased out Land, admn cant interfere

The land is leased out to JMD Company for setting up shops. It is the SGPC prerogative to lease out its land. The administration has nothing to do with it. — Gurdeep Singh, Manager, Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib

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