Closure of shops ahead of Shaheedi Jor Mela stirs row

r Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 24

The forcible closure of shops around Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup by the district administration ahead of the Shaheedi Jor Mela has led to tension among shopkeepers, SGPC contractor and the administration.

Shopkeepers are claiming that they had paid hefty amount to SGPC contractor for setting up shops, whereas SGPC contractor is saying that he has taken the contract from the SGPC for Rs 90 lakh and the SGPC member is unnecessarily alleging interference of the administration in their affairs. While the district administration is saying they have initiated the drive as the SGPC has written to them to get the shops closed from December 20 to 28.

A team of the district administration led by Dr Sanjeev Sharma, SDM, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Anand Sagar Sharma, SDM, Amloh, today got the shops closed.

Ikram, a shopkeeper, said he had come from Malerkotla and taken the site in front of Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib from the SGPC contractor for a rent of Rs 13.20 lakh a year and has paid half of the amount to set up four shops.

Vipin Jindal, SGPC contractor, said he got the SGPC site on contract in an open auction for Rs 89.10 lakh for a year and deposited half of the payment to the SGPC by taking loans from banks and further gave to shopkeepers on rent. He said he was never told during auction that the shops would remain closed from December 20 to 28. He said if the shops were not allowed to open ahead of mela, he would not be able to recover rent from them and won’t be able to pay to the SGPC.

Karnail Singh Panjoli, SGPC member-cum-member of auction committee, alleged that the district administration was interfering in the affairs of the SGPC. Amrit Kaur Gill, DC, said during the meeting with SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal and other members, they urged the administration to get the shops around the gurdwara closed from December 20 to 28.