Title - Traders fear displacement Plead with state government to spare private properties

Ludhiana: Apprehending mass scale displacement and loss of business, shopkeepers and traders today made a plea to the state government to leave alone private properties, especially shops and other commercial establishments from the proposed metro routeThe shopkeepers and traders of several localities in old city like Field Ganj, Jail Road, Karimpura, Kalgidhar Road, Shahpur Road and Sukhram Nagar have joined hands to form a “Metro Sangharsh Committee” to oppose setting up a metro station near Gurdwara Kalgidhar, which was expected to affect a large number of shops and buildings.Led by sangharsh committee president Vipan Sood (Kaka), the shopkeepers and residents of the affected area submitted a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal through former minister and senior BJP leader Satpal Gosain at his residence.The traders and residents likely to be affected by the proposed acquisition of land for the metro station near Gurdwara Kalgidhar on corridor 1 of the metro rail project (from Ayali Chowk to BBMB power station at Jamalpur) said most of the shops and ancestral businesses were being run by several generations now.A mass displacement of owners of commercial and residential properties will spell doom for the affected people, as they would not only lose their properties but also face ruination of their respective business, they said.

The memorandum pointed out that development projects like the metro rail ought to be taken up, but at the same time, the state government and administration should not compromise with the welfare of people, which was its moral and constitutional duty.

The residents of the area and shopkeepers strongly felt that a metro rail station in Field Ganj locality was not needed, as the distance between Durga Mata Mandir and Gurdwara Kalgidhar was not that long. “The authorities will do well to shift the next station after Durga Mata Mandir to somewhere near Old Central Jail where vacant government land was available,” they pleaded.

Gosain assured the deputation of shopkeepers and residents that he would take up the matter with the government at the appropriate level while assuring them that it would not be the intention of the state government to displace and uproot a large number of people from their respective properties.

“The project is in its preliminary stage and every possible step would be taken to save the city residents from avoidable inconvenience and displacement,” he said.