E-Paper
Six years on, PUDA fails to provide road connectivity to Gateway City
The allottees have highlighted lack of basic amenities like sewerage system, besides presence of dangling high-tension wires and a dump yard near the site
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Around 400 allottees have been provided possession of plots in Punjab Urban Development Authority’s (PUDA) township Gateway City in Sectors 118 and 119, but even after six years, there is no connectivity in one of the pockets that has around 100 plots.
The allottees have even alleged there are no basic amenities like sewerage system, that there are high-tension wires and a dump yard near the site.
It was in 2014 that PUDA had floated the scheme for the township offering plots ranging from 150 to 500 square yards at a reserve price of ₹21,000 per square yard.
150-ft road connecting airport was promised
The brochure had promised a 150-foot connecting road from the Airport road to the township. Six years on, however, PUDA has failed to acquire the land for the said road.
An allotee, Wg Cdr Jasbir Singh (retd), said that even after a full payment of the plot, GMADA has provided us with the connecting road to our township, especially in the pocket having a number of 600 series. Even, others, who are constructing the plots are using the road of TDI city and revenue road, he said.
Another allottee, Dr BS Lakha, said, “It is unfortunate that we could not construct the houses due to a lack of connectivity. Even in the state consumer forum, the authority in their reply had stated that they were supposed to get clearance from the irrigation department, which they hadn’t before allotting the plots.”
PUDA had acquired the land for the said project under the provisions of the Land Owners Become Partners in Development Policy. This project, Gateway City, was the maiden project under the banner of GMADA/PUDA in the district. A private developer, EMAAR, holding land had entered into a collaboration agreement with GMADA/PUDA in the revenue sharing model in the ratio of 80:20 respectively to sell the unsellable land.
‘Will acquire land soon’
When contacted, chief engineer of GMADA Davinder Singh said, “We are in the process of acquiring land for the road and hopefully it will be done soon.” Regarding other issues, he said, “We will be sorting them out too.”
Other major issues, which the allottees are facing include lack of sewerage connectivity, loose high-tension wires in the vicinity, slum dwellers settled around the plots, location of plots near the bed of Patiala Ki Rao river and sewage treatment plants, and the presence of a scrap dump yard nearby.
