Ludhiana MC submits proposal to shift dairy units out of city

In October, the committee had recommended that the dairy units should not be shifted from the city, and the existing dairy complexes be upgraded to stop dumping of waste in the Buddha Nullah

The high-powered committee chaired by mayor Balkar Sandhu has sent a new proposal to the state government which states that owners of dairy units have agreed to shift out of the municipal corporation limits with certain conditions regarding change of land use (CLU) of the sites where the dairy complexes are currently located.

A high-powered committee of the municipal corporation led by mayor Balkar Sandhu during a meeting in Ludhiana on Friday. (Harsimar Pal SIngh/HT)

In October, the committee had recommended that the dairy units should not be shifted from the city, and the existing dairy complexes be upgraded to stop dumping of waste in the Buddha Nullah.

A meeting of the committee was held at the mayor’s camp office on Friday in which deputy commissioner Varinder Sharma and MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal also took part.

It has been proposed that a certain portion of land owned by farmers in dairy complexes be transferred to Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) to develop commercial pockets, while the rest will remain with farmers, and the land use be changed to commercial category.

Sandhu and cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and his relatives also own dairy units in the Haibowal dairy complex.

“The proposal was also discussed with principal secretary of the local bodies department AK Sinha during his recent visit to the city. If the government accepts the latest proposal then we will proceed with planning the entire project,” Sandhu said.

The project to shift the dairy units at Haibowal and Tajpur Road dairy complex is hanging fire for a long time. It was proposed as the dairy units dump cow dung and dairy waste in the Buddha Nullah.

There are over 500 dairy units in the two dairy complexes and around 200 scattered units in different parts of the city. The sewer lines in city areas also get choked due to dumping of dairy waste.

MLA (Ludhiana east) Sanjay Talwar has also demanded that MC take the final decision regarding shifting of dairy units as soon as possible.