Amritsar, November 3
The prolonged tussle between the Municipal Corporation Amritsar (MCA) and Alpha G Corp has put the former in a fix. The Supreme Court has pronounced its verdict in favour of Alpha G Corp, the management of northern India’s biggest multiplex Alpha One mall, while directing the MCA to refund Rs 14.4 crore, the CLU (change in land use) fee along with interest, which was apparently charged inadvertently.

Following this decision, the cash-starved MCA is in a Catch-22 situation. This amount, officials claim, has already been spent on various development projects of the city.

Now it would indeed be a Herculean task for the MCA to raise such a huge amount to be refunded with immediate effect.

Over a year back when the Alpha management applied for the mandatory “completion certificate”, the MCA had slapped a notice on the Alpha management to deposit Rs 14.4 crore for not furnishing the CLU norms for the plot area, measuring 40,134.11 sq m.

When the Alpha management questioned the authenticity of the CLU charges, the MCA stalled the completion certificate.

S.K. Syal, the CEO and director of Alpha G Corp, said the highhandedness of the administrative officials led to the stalling of the completion certificate.

Syal said by then the group had already made an investment of over Rs 300 crore under the development project scheme and that too had been initiated only after a nod from the state government.

“All through, we had proceeded just as per the stipulated guidelines. The plan was duly submitted and approved, but it was a shock to us when the completion was stalled on frivolous grounds like CLU norms which were not applicable to the project,” he claimed.

“We were communicated that the CLU charges were ‘overlooked’ at the time of plan approval and that Rs 14.4 crore would have to be deposited. We contested this and moved the HC,” he added.

Even as the management had deposited the amount with the corporation, it moved the High Court against the MCA’s notice with the plea that the CLU norms were not applicable to the project as it had been established under the development policy matters of the government.

Nevertheless, the HC, while reserving its decision, directed Alpha Corp to deposit the amount, which it did.

Later, the HC, in its verdict, stated that the charges were demanded on untenable grounds and that the amount collected would be liable to be refunded with interest at 9 per cent till October 11.

Dejected by the verdict, the MCA filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. On October 29, the double bench of the SC directed the MCA to comply with the HC directions and refund the amount along with the interest incurred on it with immediate effect.

Municipal Commissioner D.P.S. Kharbanda said the money would be refunded. “Since the directions are from the Supreme Court, we have no choice but to comply. We are definitely in a difficult situation because the amount has already been spent on various development works.”

Amritsar, November 3
Traders dealing in jewellery, utensils, fabrics, dry fruit, gift items and others incurred huge losses on account of the strike called by Sikh organisations today to commemorate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, falling two days before Divali.

The Punjab Pardesh Beopar Mandal (PPBM) said that the government might have suffered a loss to the tune of Rs 20 crore as VAT.

PPBM president Amrit Lal Jain said undoubtedly the loss of traders was much more. He said with the changing time it was noticed that the sales intensified only a day or two before Divali.

Since today was Dhanteras, people consider it auspicious to purchase gold, and the jewellers looked forward to the event expecting high sales. The oldest gold market, Guru Bazaar, located close to the Golden Temple, found customers missing till evening though half of the shops opened in the noon.

GURDASPUR: On a call given by various Sikh organisations in protest against the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a partial bandh was observed in Gurdaspur town even as a near-total bandh was seen in adjoining towns like Qadian, Kalanaur, Dhariwal and Sri Hargobindpur.

Private buses did not ply from Gurdaspur town since early morning, while those owned by the state government ferried passengers only in the afternoon. Rail traffic remained unaffected even as the police had made elaborate arrangements at the railway station to ensure that rail traffic was not held up.

Shops in Hanuman Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Tibri Road, Bata Chowk, Geeta Bhawan and Kahnuwan Road opened in the afternoon and residents were seen making hectic purchases.

HOSHIARPUR: As per the decision of the local Peace Committee, all shopkeepers of the town observed a two-hour bandh from 9 am in response to the bandh call given by various Sikh organisations.

Activists and the leaders of various organisations and political parties assembled at Gurdwara Singh Sabha and performed ardas for all those who lost their lives during the 1984 riots.

Leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), including its district president Jathedar Surinder Singh Bhulewal Rathan left the venue after ardas.

Later, the remaining activists staged a peace march in the main bazaars of the town and presented a memorandum to the President of India through the Deputy Commissioner.

Deputy Commissioner Dharam Dutt Ternach claimed that there was complete peace and harmony in the district during the bandh.

PHAGWARA: The Punjab bandh call got no response in Phagwara, Phillaur and Nakodar. Road and rail traffic was normal and commercial establishments were seen opened as usually. A great rush was observed in big showrooms, including Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh, Reliance Trends, Best Price, Easy Day, Spencers, etc

NAWANSHAHR: No impact of the Punjab bandh call given by various panthic organisations was witnessed here as the shops remained open and the bazaars were buzzing with the rush of customers on the occasion of Dhanteras in the town.

The transport facilities functioned normally. While government schools remained open, some education institutions were closed for Divali holidays.

The district police had made elaborate security arrangemets.

Hoshiarpur, November 3
Jiwan Jyoti (26) of Sector 2, Talwara, succumbed to his injuries at BBMB Hospital, Talwara, 80 km from here, last night.

Jiwan Jyoti and his nephew Anuj Kumar were serious wounded when Jaskirat Singh of Sector 3 and Gulzar Singh of Sector 1, Talwara, allegedly assaulted them with sharp-edged weapons while they were going on their motorcycle from Dehar village to their house at about 7.20 pm last evening. Jiwan Jyoti and Anuj Kumar were admitted to BBMB Hospital where Jiwan Jyoti breathed his last soon after his admission.

After injuring them both the assailants fled. There was some old enmity between Jiwan Jyoti and the assailants. The Talwara police has booked the duo under Sections 302, 324 and 34 of the IPC.