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State eyes prime property in Bathinda to generate funds
District administration officials meet today to discuss feasibility of shifting residences of govt officers from scattered areas to the Thermal Colony of the now-defunct Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Power Plant
The cash-strapped state authorities are exploring options to dispose of public properties, including residential accommodation meant for senior officials in Bathinda district, to generate funds.
As part of this plan, district administration officials will hold a meeting on Tuesday to assess the feasibility to shift residences of government officers to the Thermal Colony of the now-defunct Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Power Plant (GNDTP), Bathinda. The GNDPT has been defunct since January 1, 2018.
Government buildings around the district administrative complex are spread over 40-acre of prime land. Sources said authorities are exploring options on converting this area, comprising over 50 buildings, including the Circuit House, residences of DC, SSP and women police station into a commercial city centre. The idea was first mooted in January this year.
“These residences are quite old and prone to acute water-logging. It may be a viable option to dispose of the zone for commercial activities after strengthening infrastructure. The Police Lines complex, located on a very prime location, may also be shifted. A commercial city centre could be developed,” says the source.
Spread over 400-acre, the Thermal Colony has emerged as a preferred option, as it has 155 independent houses and over 1,000 flats, but many are in a dilapidated condition.
A sizeable part of these independent houses is allocated to the employees of Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant at Lehra Mohabbat, with another section allotted to district officials.
Deputy commissioner B Srinivasan said the administration was working to make a proposal in this regard, but there was no finality on the project yet.
The move, however, has raised a question mark on the state government’s plan to revive the GNDTP. The closure of the 1,700-acre plant that was started in 1974 continues to evoke strong resentment from workers.
Last year, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) had approved a plan to start two biomass (predominantly based on paddy straw) units with a capacity to generate 60 MW each. Another recommendation to start a 100 MW solar energy plant has been sent for government approval. The government, however, has taken no decision to restart GNDPT yet.
