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GLADA acquires 416 acres in Sekhowal village for Mattewara Industrial Park
In July, Sekhowal residents had opposed the land acquisition, citing that it was the source of income for around 70 families of the village.
Inching closer to making the Industrial Park project near Mattewara village a reality, the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has acquired 416 acres in Sekhowal village against a compensation of Rs 80 crore.
This is part of the 960 acres acquired so far for the park, set to come up on around 1,000 acres of government and panchayat land in Haidar Nagar, Sekhowal, Salempur, Sailkiana and Machian Kalan villages of Ludhiana district.
Earlier in July, Sekhowal residents had opposed the land acquisition, citing that it was the source of income for around 70 families of the village.
However, following a series of meetings at the village last week, the villagers agreed to hand over 416 acres to the government.
In its place, the village panchayat has decided to purchase around 250 acres in the nearby villages with the compensation amount. This land will be leased out to villagers for farming.
“The villagers have given consent for the project and the land has been transferred to the government,” said Dhir Singh, a former sarpanch of Sekhowal.
GLADA chief administrator PS Gill said, “GLADA has taken possession of 960 acres for construction of the industrial park. At a few places, government land in possession of different departments, including animal husbandry and horticulture, has been transferred to GLADA. Apart from this, panchayat land has been acquired in various villages against a compensation of Rs 86 crore.”
He added that the future course of action, with regards to how the industrial park will be developed and what it will comprise, has yet to be decided by the state government.
ACTIVISTS MIFFED
Meanwhile, social activists have decided to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the Punjab government’s decision to develop an industrial park near Mattewara forest.
Social activist Kuldeep Khaira said, “The project will destroy the Mattewara forest and its wildlife. Establishment of an industrial park will also pollute the Sutlej river, which flows through the forest area. The Sekhowal gram sabha had also approved a resolution against the land acquisition in the past. The administration is not releasing information regarding the project even under the RTI Act.”
Another activist Ranjodh Singh, who had earlier written to chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to rollback the proposal, said,”We will take up the matter with the state government again.”
Sub-divisional magistrate, Ludhiana East, Baljinder Singh said, “The villagers have accepted the compensation provided for the land by the government. No one was pressured. The land has been transferred to GLADA.”
