Dhuri, Sangrur STPs hit roadblock

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, December 16

The construction of the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in Dhuri and Sangrur is hanging fire as the land owners of the proposed sites have refused to sell their land to the authorities at the rates being offered. The Sangrur administration has referred the cases to the senior authorities in the Local Government Department to finalise the rates.

Sources said the authorities had sanctioned two STPs in Sangrur town. The work at Kartarpura has started after the purchase of the land. For the second STP, the authorities had proposed purchase of land on the Sohian road, but locals got a stay order from the court. Then the administration decided to purchase 2.25-acre land on the Sunam road and started the acquisition process in December 2018.

However, locals are demanding around Rs 1 crore per acre while the administration is offering the maximum rate of Rs 38.78 lakh.

Senior BJP leader Aman Punia said, “Everyone knows that the land rates have gone down and it’s not possible that the authorities are not able to find the suitable land at lower rates. The Punjab Government must ensure the utilisation of public money with transparency.”

In Dhuri, the requirement is of 14 kanals, but since private land owners are demanding higher rates, the authorities have decided to construct the STP on the common land of Daulatpur village. Here again the authorities are facing problems due to the difference in rates. The government can offer maximum of Rs 8.58 lakh per acre, but the panchayat is demanding Rs 40 lakh per acre.

Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said he had written to the Local Government Department. “Since there is a huge difference between the price being demanded and what we can offer, I have written to the Local Government Department and suggested acquisition as per the notification of the government,” said Thori.