Sangrur medical college: HC asks Punjab to maintain status quo on construction

The Punjab chief minister, Bhagwant Mann had laid foundation stone of medical college on August 5. Named as Sant Attar Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences, it is to come up at Mastuana Sahib on 25 acres of land at an estimated cost of ₹345 crore

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered status quo on construction of a medical college in Sangrur. The high court bench of justice Ritu Bahri and justice Nidhi Gupta acted on the plea from Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered status quo on construction of a medical college in Sangrur. The high court bench of justice Ritu Bahri and justice Nidhi Gupta acted on the plea from Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The Punjab chief minister, Bhagwant Mann had laid foundation stone of medical college on August 5. Named as Sant Attar Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences, it is to come up at Mastuana Sahib on 25 acres of land at an estimated cost of ₹345 crore.

The court while ordering status quo has sought response from different parties by October 19.

Senior advocate, Kanwaljit Singh, said that this is second round of litigation in high court pending since 1986. First round between SGPC and the trust, Sant Attar Singh Gurusagar Trust Mastuana Sahib, has been won by the SGPC. The plea in HC says the land and its management rests with SGPC through Gurdwara Angitha Sahib. Another trust who is not even the appellant before high court has entered into a gift deed in favour of medical college while property belongs to SGPC as upheld by the Sikh Tribunal in 1986, the plea said adding that the gift deed of land in favour of the medical college is without any authority.

When gift deed was signed in July, a plea was filed in high court challenging that. However, even as that was pending, foundation stone was laid by the chief minister, the SGPC had told the court.