JDA’s Urban Estate, Phase-III, project falls flat
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 5
An ambition plan of the Jalandhar Development Authority (JDA) to carve out Urban Estate, Phase-III, at Pholariwal here, which had taken off about two years back, seems to have fallen flat.

As per the plan, the JDA was to acquire 305 acres in the area for the purpose. The authorities had taken long to manage to seek consent from 200 farmers for acquiring the land. The officials had even started negotiations with the farmers for fixing of compensation amount.

Spearing ahead, the JDA had even started seeking proposals from various banks of taking loan for paying up the compensation amount. In the meantime, the officials worked out the per marla land cost coming to it at Rs 5 lakh, which proved too high in comparison to the existing rates in the area.

This was after deduction of use of land for road cutting, parks, community centres and other required amenities. As per the plan, the JDA was also to cover a sewer drain passing close by, the cost of which, too, was added up in the expenditure incurred.

At this stage, the JDA officials even proposed to the farmers to opt for land pooling scheme, to which they disagreed. As per the scheme, the farmers were to get 2 kanal developed land, which they could retain or sell off in lieu of offering 1 acre undeveloped land. Since most of the land owners are NRIs, they demanded one-time compensation, which did not work out well with the authorities.

A plan of the PUDA to carve out Urban Estate, Phase-III, at Nangal Shama, Chokan and Bhojewal villages on the Hoshiarpur road some eight years back, too, had to be shelved. The authorities had then planned to acquire 302.13 acres at the site. Ever since there has been a haphazard growth in the area with property dealers reaping harvests.

Insiders also blame it on the government in not ensuring filling of seats of Chief Administrator and Additional Chief Administrator in the JDA. The additional charge of the post of Chief Administrator is with Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti ever since Praveen Kumar vacated it. The Additional Chief Administrator’s post, too, is lying vacant ever since retired PCS officer SK Singla got transferred to the Phagwara MC.

Priyank Bharti said the cost of the project needed to be assessed again.