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Pargat opposes industrial park near Mattewara forests in Ludhiana
The opposition is based on possible damage to the nearby forest area, pollution in Sutlej River and loss of livelihood of villagers.
Ludhiana Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment, Pargat Singh, has joined the NGOs and social activists in opposing the proposed industrial park near Mattewara forests. The opposition is based on possible damage to the nearby forest area, pollution in Sutlej River and loss of livelihood of villagers. Pargat visited the proposed site near the banks of river Sutlej in village Sekhowal and Garhi Fazal on Thursday, along with members of NGOs.
He assured activists of taking up the issue with the government so that it drops the project. An umbrella organisation, Public for Action, had approached Pargat for help.
Pargat added,” The site proposed for establishing the industrial park is near forest area and is near the banks of Sutlej. I will take up the matter at government level for dropping the project by convincing officials. The industrial park can be established at any other site or industrial area in the state.”
Kuldeep Khaira, Amandeep Bains, Jaskirat Singh, Kapil Arora, all associated with NGOs claimed that a petition has also been filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the project.
Khaira said, “The government is moving forward with the project and the panchayat land in villages has been acquired forcibly. About 70 families involved in farming at the panchayat land have been left unemployed only in village Sekhowal as the land has been acquired. We have also opposed the amendment in the master plan to convert the ‘no manufacturing zone’ to industrial area for the project.”
