Latest news with #GreaterLudhianaAreaDevelopmentAuthority
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Work on Dhuri-Malerkotla missing link nears completion but official opening awaits Ludhiana West byelection results.
Ludhiana: Almost 12 years after it was first proposed, the much-anticipated Rail Over Bridge (ROB) on Dhandhran Road near the Dhuri-Malerkotla line is nearing completion — but residents will have to wait until after the by-election results are announced for official access. Two reasons have been cited for the delay in opening: the bridge must be inaugurated by the Punjab chief minister, and final construction and safety work remains unfinished. Despite this, local commuters have already begun bypassing barricades and driving on the yet-to-be-opened ROB, leading to safety concerns. The Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), which constructed the approach roads on both sides of the bridge, has warned that the site is still under development and is not yet safe for use. Workers are currently completing final touches, including painting the retaining walls, installing road markings, and placing reflective cat's-eye indicators. Several sharp curves on the 200-foot connecting stretch also pose accident risks, especially with high-speed vehicles, prompting authorities to delay the official opening until proper safety measures are in place. The project was originally conceived in 2012 under the Akali-BJP government to ease traffic congestion by linking the 200-foot road to Gill Road near Dhandhran village. However, bureaucratic delays and lack of coordination between state and central governments stalled construction for years. It was only after a change in government that the project resumed in earnest. Now in its final stage, the Dhuri-Malerkotla missing link awaits only finishing touches and a formal ribbon-cutting — a symbolic gesture holding up a decade-long infrastructure wait. MSID:: 121596615 413 |
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: GLADA slaps notice on violators as locals flag illegal construction
Authorities from the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) have issued a notice to stop illegal construction in Kiran Vihar Colony, located behind Hotel Keys in Ludhiana. The move comes after complaints from local residents who allege that a 2-kanal plot, originally earmarked for a community centre, is being wrongfully occupied and developed. The notice, issued under Section 88 of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, follows a site inspection by GLADA's regulatory team. According to officials, the construction was underway at the site despite the absence of approvals or necessary building permits. The assistant district town planner has directed immediate suspension of all ongoing construction activity, warning that failure to comply may result in sealing of the property, demolition of the structure and recovery of all expenses from those responsible. Residents of the colony submitted a detailed complaint to the GLADA, highlighting that the plot in question was marked for community use in the original layout plan approved in the late 1980s. The land was reportedly transferred in 2007 by late coloniser Balbir Singh Pujani to his daughter Poonamdeep Kaur with the stipulation that it be used solely for community purposes. A copy of the land registry, attached with the residents' representation, confirms this condition. Meanwhile, residents said the construction work was still going on. 'The construction is being carried out in violation of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Building Rules, 2021,' said Jaspal Singh, a resident. 'We urge GLADA to ensure that this land, meant for the welfare of all, is not misused for personal gain.' GLADA officials have stated that if valid ownership documents and building permissions are not produced within seven days, legal action would be initiated. The notice has also been forwarded to other government wings, including the PSPCL, the sub-registrar, Punjab Police and the forest and irrigation departments for coordinated enforcement. Junior engineer Amandeep Singh, part of GLADA's regulatory wing, confirmed that a halt order has been served and that the construction would be stopped completely. Further action will be taken after reviewing the documents, once submitted, he said, adding, 'We are going to issue a second notice wherein police help will be sought to stop illegal construction.'
The Print
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Punjab's most ambitious land acquisition exercise yet faces Oppn resistance, SAD promises agitation
The land slated for acquisition accounts for nearly 40 percent of the total area of Ludhiana district. The state's housing department intends to acquire a whopping 24,311 acres of land in southern Ludhiana for the development of urban estates. This is the highest-ever chunk of land planned to be acquired in a single region in Punjab. The acquisition will take place across multiple zones and the move was cleared during a meeting of various department heads chaired by the chief secretary last month. Chandigarh: The Punjab government's most ambitious land acquisition exercise ever seems to have hit a roadblock even before being officially announced. Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), the government body under the housing department was given the go ahead to start gathering land for the proposed urban estate projects. Addressing a press conference Tuesday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal declared that his party will not allow a single inch of this land to be acquired even if it means mounting an agitation. He said the move was planned in a manner to facilitate large scale corruption by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders from Delhi led by party chief Arvind Kejriwal. He added that he had visited Isapur, one of the villages in Ludhiana where land was to be taken by the government. 'The land owners told us that the cost of land there was almost Rs 5 crore an acre and there was no way the government could match this amount while acquiring the land,' he said. Badal added that the large difference in the market value of the land and the compensation that would likely be offered by the government created fertile ground for rampant corruption. 'Landowners not wanting to be a part of the acquisition process will pay huge bribes for their land to be taken out of it. It's already happening. Soon all registries of land would be halted in the area. Landowners are being forced to prepare backdated documents to prove to the government that they had buildings or sheds or residential houses on their lands to take them out of the scheme,' said Badal. He added that he was receiving similar complaints from other areas in Ludhiana and will be visiting these villages in the coming days. Badal said that even as the acquisition process had been set into motion, Kejriwal had appointed his former cabinet colleagues, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, to oversee various projects in Punjab. 'Apart from these two, persons loyal to AAP's Delhi leadership have been put in key positions in RERA (Real estate regulatory authority), the Punjab Large Industrial Board and the Punjab Pollution Control Board. Which means that anyone who objects to the acquisition process will find no relief from these bodies,' said Badal. Leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union Dakaunda have already announced that they would be protesting against the acquisition of land in Ludhiana. Few details about Punjab's largest land acquisition have been made public. When contacted, Punjab's Principal Secretary, Housing, Vikas Garg, was tight-lipped about the project. 'We're still working on the project. It is too early to say anything. Moreover, it would not be appropriate to share details of the exercise,' he said. Sources in the government, however, added that the land will be acquired not in the traditional method of acquisition, which included farmers parting with their land compulsorily, but through 'land pooling' which is a voluntary exercise. 'Acquisition of such a large amount of land is not practical as the process of acquisition is full of social, cultural and legal hurdles. However, land pooling is the way forward in this case,' said an officer involved in the process but who wished to not be named. The land pooling scheme notified by the government in 2013 offered to make land owners stakeholders in urban development. The scheme entailed the land owner being given cash compensation along with a part of the developed land in the form of plots. Landowners could also opt to go in for 'letters of intent' from the government which they could further sell. Former state government officer K.B.S. Sidhu, who served in the housing department for several years wrote about the project in his recent blog. He pointed out that direct acquisition could mean a staggering compensation bill for the government. 'The basic per-acre cost is unlikely to be less than ₹50 lakh, amounting to a total outlay of at least ₹12,000 crore—the Punjab Government appears to be banking on a land-pooling model as a strategic alternative to conventional acquisition,' he wrote. 'The land-pooling approach sidesteps this challenge by offering landowners Letters of Intent in lieu of immediate cash compensation, promising them developed residential plots or commercial sites within the reconstituted layout,' he wrote. Sidhu said the land pooling method achieved a dual objective of reducing the immediate funding pressure on GLADA, while giving landowners a lucrative and tradeable stake in the future urban form. He hailed the government's move, calling it the state's 'bold initiative'. 'The Punjab Government's decision to acquire 24,311 acres of land in and around Ludhiana in one consolidated exercise through the GLADA marks one of the most ambitious urban planning initiatives in recent memory,' he wrote, adding that few state governments had attempted such large scale land acquisition in a 'single stroke'. Sidhu however, cautioned that the 'sheer magnitude' of the Ludhiana proposal demanded 'cautious realism'. (Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri) Also read: 'Hit list' lays bare infighting in radical MP Amritpal Singh-led outfit Waris Punjab De
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Property of jailed drug peddler razed in Transport Nagar
The Ludhiana police on Monday demolished the illegally constructed house of a notorious drug trafficker and convict, who is lodged in a jail, in Transport Nagar. The properties of at least eight drug peddlers have been demolished so far in the city. The police team along with Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) reached the house of the convict Lakhan, son of Heera, a resident of Hari Krishna Colony, who is currently lodged in jail serving a 10-year sentence under the NDPS Act. According to police, Lakhan has five separate cases registered against him related to drug trafficking. Assistant town planner Kuljit Singh Mangat and building inspector Harminder Singh Makkar from the MC, confirmed that the demolished house had been built illegally on municipal land that was earmarked for vehicle parking under the Transport Nagar development scheme. 'The action sends a clear message—there is no place for drug traffickers in Punjab,' said commissioner Swapan Sharma. 'The Punjab government is adopting a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, and strict action will continue against those involved in the trade.' Police said the demolition is part of a broader crackdown where assets illegally acquired through the drug trade are being seized or razed. Commissioner Sharma warned other traffickers to quit the drug trade or face similar consequences. 'The state's youth have been led astray by such individuals,' he added. Crackdown on drug properties May 1: The Khanna police, in collaboration with the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), demolished houses of three drug traffickers in Dhamot Kalan village, Payal. March 24: The Ludhiana police, in coordination with MC, razed a two-storey residential property of a drug peddler in Rajouri Garden Colony, Haibowal. March 19: The Khanna police and MC demolished the illegal property of alleged drug trafficker Munish Tandon, who is lodged in jail. March 18: The Ludhiana Rural police, in collaboration with panchayat authorities, razed an unauthorised two-storey house of an alleged drug peddler in Burj Hari Singh village. March 6: The Khanna police and MC demolished six buildings in the town's Meat Market. March 4: The Ludhiana police, in a joint operation with Railways, demolished properties of two drug peddling accused in Talwandi Kalan village of Ladhowal.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Constructed ‘illegally', houses of 3 drug traffickers demolished
The Khanna police, in collaboration with the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), demolished the houses of three drug traffickers in Dhamot Kalan village, Payal, on Thursday. Among the accused is a woman who was caught while smuggling drugs in her Thar SUV in 2024, officials said. These houses were illegally constructed without GLADA approval, officials said. The operation, a part of the Punjab government's 'Yudh Nasheya Virudh' campaign, was conducted under the supervision of Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jyoti Yadav Bains with GLADA officials amid a heavy police presence. The SSP said the Punjab government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward drugs and is taking strict action against drug traffickers. She revealed that the three families have multiple cases registered against them under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Accused Satwinder Singh alias Bobby and Palwinder Singh alias Pappu have six FIRs each registered against them. Sarbjit Kaur has three FIRs against her. She was known as 'Thar girl' for using her SUV to smuggle drugs, the SSP said. Her mother Karamjit Kaur too has three FIRs. All of the accused are residents of Dhamot Kalan. Issuing a stern warning to drug traffickers, the SSP asked them to stop their illegal activities or face severe consequences. She emphasised that the state government was fully committed to protecting the state's youth from the menace of drugs. She appealed to the public to report drug-related activities to their nearest police station. The SSP further stressed that this campaign would continue relentlessly, and drug traffickers would not be spared under any circumstances. She declared that Punjab had no place for drug traffickers and their illegal properties would face demolition if they persist. Sarpanch Kamaljit Kaur, panchayat members Amandeep Singh, Jagjivan Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Manvir Singh, Harpreet Singh, Yadavinder Singh and other villagers hailed the Punjab government for the action. Khanna superintendent of police (SP) (headquarters) Tejvir Singh, deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) Mohit Singla and Hemant Malhotra, Payal station house officer (SHO) Sandeep Kumar, Malaud SHO Satnam Singh, GLADA sub-divisional engineer Karan Agarwal, GLADA district town planner regulator Harpreet Singh Bajwa and others were present.
