M A I N   N E W S

FOLLOW UP
3 marriage palaces to be razed
Order soon on illegal buildings near Baddowal
K.S. Chawla

Ludhiana, May 4
The District Administration today ordered the owners of three marriage palaces located on the Ludhiana-Ferozepore road to demolish their palaces within one month, failing which the administration would demolish them as a follow-up action on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The high court Bench comprising Mr Justice N.K. Sood and Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi had dismissed the petition of marriage palace owners and others on March 19 and directed the district administration to comply with the orders of demolition. These marriage palaces and some other structures are allegedly located within 1,000 yards of the 17 Field Ammunition Depot (FAD), Badowal.

The orders for demolition were issued by Mr S.R. Kaler, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Collector to three owners of the marriage palaces, namely Megha Resort, Springfield and Whiterock. The demolition orders say that since a structure has been constricted within 1,000 yards of 17 FAD, Badowal, without taking permission from the competent authority under the Defence Act, the structure is illegal and unauthorised and needs removal/demolition within one month compliance with the high court order.

The administration has also said that the owners of the marriage palaces would be required to bear the costs of removal/demolition of unauthorised structure if they themselves did not remove/demolish the structure within the specified period.

The non-compliance of the orders would make them liable for action under the works of Defence Act as also contempt of the court order.

Mr Kaler told The Tribune that similar notices would be issued to the owners of the remaining marriage palaces and other structures soon.

The district administration has taken the help of the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre in ascertaining the exact location of the marriage palaces and other structures from the vicinity of the FAD.

Other structures, including some residential areas, fall within 1000 yards of the FAD and would be served with the orders for demolition.

The court has directed the district administration to remove or demolish the structures within one year. The owners of the marriage palaces are reported to have gone in appeal against the orders of the high court. But they have not got any stay order. Therefore, the administration has initiated the process of implementing the orders of the high court.

Meanwhile a demand is being raised by the residents of village along the 17FAD and some colonisers and builders for the shifting of the FAD from Badowal as the same poses a danger to the town of Ludhiana and adjoining villages.

The Punjab Chief Minister has already met Defence Minister Jaswant Singh and sought the shifting of the FAD.

However, the defence experts rule out the possibility of shifting the FAD in the near future.

Col Chanan Singh Dhillon (retd) who was involved in the construction of FAD at Badowal in 1969 said that there was no possibility for the shifting of the FAD as the site was selected after studying the situation and keeping in view the requirements of the defence forces. Before its location at Badowal, the ammunition depot was located near Dholewal Chowk in Ludhiana town and it was not sufficient to cater to the ensuing operation.

Colonel Dhillon claimed that he was involved in the FAD location from its planning to the construction stage.

He said there was no possibility of its shifting from the present site because the distance from the borders and communication systems are more crucial things for the depot. The Defence Ministry even tried to acquire more land for the expansion of the 17 FAD at Badowal, but it was not available. The shifting would involve crores of rupees and it would not be viable. 17 FAD had proved beyond doubt that it had catered to the defence needs of the conventional troops in 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Colonel Dhillon also pointed out that areas earmarked for the defence purpose had been encroached upon by land grabbers in connivance with the civil administration in different parts of Punjab.

He, however, emphasised that if the Army had dumped any highly explosive material, it should be shifted from Badowal keeping in view the safety of the town and villagers around 17 FAD.

Colonel Dhillon who is the President of the Indian Ex-services League, Punjab and Chandigarh, demanded that the government should look into the first FIR lodged by defence personnel in connection with the violation of the Defence Act, 1903, of constructing structures near Badowal.