Gurdaspur, August 2
The canal rest houses which were used as ‘torture cells’ by the security agencies during the days of militancy look like ghost bungalows these days. Though no guest has stayed there for more than three decades, the department continues to give money for their maintenance.

A visit to various canal houses, which were constructed during the British regime, have been abandoned for reasons best known to the authorities concerned. An employee posted for maintenance at one such rest house says no guest has stayed there since his posting. One of the guest houses visited by TNS was in possession of the police. Residents of the area adjoining the rest houses said Army and security personnel used to use the rest houses for interrogating suspects at the time of militancy.

The sites of the canal rest houses present a ghastly look as roofs and walls of several buildings have collapsed the salaries given to the employees have been a burden on the state exchequer. Insiders say most employees are used as ‘domestic servants’ by senior officials. A large chunk of land is attached with each rest house, which too is ‘misused’. At many places trees have been felled by officials and residents of adjoining areas.

Mr Sukhdev Singh, a chowkidar, and his mother-in-law, Ms Nirmal Kaur, a ‘beldar’, and one Sheela posted at the Bhamri rest house near Sri Hargobindpur have been getting regular salaries. While Sheela is posted at the rest house in Bhamri since 1984, Sukhdev Singh got himself transferred to the rest house in 1996. He said since his transfer, he had never seen any guest staying in the rest house.

In fact, the rest house is not worth staying in. The furniture has been taken away by unknown persons. Kitchen, store and quarters for employees are in a dilapidated condition.

The entire building is unsafe. The department has not bothered to renovate the building. At least five acres of land is attached to this canal rest house. The quarter meant for a junior engineer collapsed a few days ago. The rest of the building can fall any time.

Elderly persons of the area said during the British rule, senior administrative officers stayed in the rest houses during their tour of rural areas. Now politicians wanted to purchase the rest houses for a song in “connivance” with officials of the department. If the Badal government boasted of remodelling the Uppar Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) at a cost of Rs 180 crore, why were canal rest houses not being renovated, the residents asked. Mr M.M. Singh Cheema, a veteran trade union leader who is also Chairman of the PPCC (intellectual cell), said a high-level probe should be ordered as the output (agricultural) from these rest houses was being siphoned off by officials.

The rest house at the historic town of Sri Hargobindpur is also in a pitiable condition. Sia Ram, a gardner, Manmohan Singh, a mason and other staff members have been getting regular salaries. Sia Ram said nobody could stay at the rest house as it was not worth living in. However, the SDM at times held meetings during his rural tours in the trees premises. The mason, who has been getting sufficient salary for ‘maintenance’ has no work to do.

The other rest houses, including that at Athwal, a portion of which has been encroached upon by the police, also present a ghastly look. No effort has been made to utilise the palatial rest houses during the last three decades.

It may be mentioned here that the state government had prepared a plan to dispose of many buildings through the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) under the optimum untilisation of vacant government land (OUVGL) scheme, including those of the Irrigation Department. Mr Satya Paul Dang, veteran CPI leader, alleges that most government properties, including rest houses, have been disposed of or auctioned through underhand deals and influential persons are the sole beneficiaries under the scheme. Source said the government may dispose of the canal rest houses under the OUVGL scheme.