Ludhiana: Direct approach road to martyr Sukhdev’s ancestral house soon
The proposal to acquire the required land to create direct access route has been sent for final approval to the department of local government
Ahead of freedom fighter Sukhdev Thapar’s 115th birth anniversary, a long-standing demand for the development of a direct path for visitors to his ancestral home in Ludhiana is set to be fulfilled, over a decade since the process was begun.
The ancestral home of the martyr in the Naughara Mohalla area of the old city is set to have a direct access route to welcome the visitors.
After the completion of the required formalities to fulfil the long-pending demand of the residents and freedom fighter’s kin, the proposal to acquire the required land to create direct access route has been sent for final approval to the department of local government. The procedure to provide the direct approach road had started in 2011.
In the draft notification sent to the department by the sub-divisional magistrate (Ludhiana East), it has been stated the property which is posing a hindrance to providing direct access to the birthplace of Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar will be acquired under the Right to fair compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition.
It added that the said property is needed by the government at public expense for public purposes. The direct route has remained a long-pending demand of the family members of Sukhdev. Thapar along with Bhagat Singh and Rajguru was hanged by the British on March 23, 1931.
Member of Sukhdev Thapar Memorial Trust, Tribhuvan Thapar, who is also part of the third generation of the Thapar family, said the house is located within a maze of congested lanes, making it difficult for tourists, travellers, and even city residents to learn about it. Currently, the building is not easily accessible, but it is expected that once a direct route is created, the heritage site will become more approachable, leading to an increase in visitors.
He added that while the major hurdle in the process has been cleared, the final formalities by the Municipal Corporation which can be completed within a week are facing delays.
Renovation work still incomplete
While the birth anniversary of the martyr is around the corner, the work to complete the heritage wall depicting the biography of Sukhdev from his mother’s lap to the gallows has not been completed yet. In recent months, the two-century-old house has undergone a major renovation and beautification process.
An MC official stated that the work is being delayed due to cost-related issues as tenders were allotted in 2021, which are being sorted.
MC additional commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal could not be contacted despite repeated attempts to get an official version on the matter.
