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Panchayat land dispute in Ludhiana: Uproar over land allocation to Navi Abadi village
The development has sparked outrage in Akalgarh Kalan; local residents claim the land originally belonged to their ancestors and was left for community use, asserting that only their village has the rightful claim
A decades-old land dispute between Akalgarh Kalan and Navi Abadi Akalgarh has erupted into fresh tensions after the state department of rural development and panchayats officially ordered the transfer of seven acres of panchayat land to Navi Abadi, triggering anger among residents of the parent village.
The department’s notification follows a 33-year-long legal battle after Akalgarh Kalan was split in 1993, creating Navi Abadi Akalgarh. Despite its formation, Navi Abadi had not been allotted any share of the village panchayat land until now.
The development has sparked outrage in Akalgarh Kalan. Local residents claim the land originally belonged to their ancestors and was left for community use, asserting that only their village has the rightful claim. Protests are now being planned, with villagers threatening to block the Ludhiana–Bathinda highway at Abohar Branch Bridge to prevent movement from the new settlement.
The notification was issued after the current sarpanch of Navi Abadi, Manjeet Kaur, along with the panchayat, advocated for the land. The department cited prior notifications from 1998 and 2008, and acted under the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, to allot the land for construction of common buildings and infrastructure in the newly formed village.
Director of the department stated that both panchayats were given the opportunity to present their views, and the decision followed a detailed review of land records and recommendations from the block development office (BDO) Sudhar. The 2016–17 land register shows that Akalgarh Kalan had leased 14 acres of land, of which half is now to be transferred to Navi Abadi for community purposes.
A copy of the official order has been sent to the district development and panchayat officer, BDO Sudhar, and both gram panchayats.
Reacting to the notification, Sukhwinder Singh, husband of Akalgarh Kalan’s sarpanch Swarnjeet Kaur, said, “We will challenge this order in court. This land was donated by our ancestors for the welfare of our village. The government has no right to divide it. This is a legal and social battle that we will fight.”
Meanwhile, sarpanch Manjeet Kaur of Navi Abadi said, “After 33 years of injustice, we finally got our due. Our village didn’t have a single inch of land for shared use. This is not just land — it is recognition of our identity.”
She added that the BDO and revenue officials would soon visit the village to begin demarcation and hand over physical possession of the land.
As tensions mount between the two villages, district authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation to prevent any potential law and order issues.
