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Mohali, Punjab: Taking up a petition challenging the acquisition of 11.5 acres land of Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Saini Majra village, SAS Nagar, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday issued notices to the state government and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).
The petition filed by the local unit of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) member Hardeep Singh came up for hearing before the division bench headed by justice Surya Kant that issued notices for the authorities to submit their replies by August 19.
The petitioner has sought quashing of the notification dated December 22, 2010 and August 25, 2011 of land acquisition of gurdwara land. The petitioner while raising various question on the proposed scheme of GMADA and shortcomings of the land acquisition process, stated that the gurdwara land should not be acquired since it was donated for the religious purposes. He submitted that the land could be used for some hospital and medical college.
The court was also informed that certain chunks of land in the same area were, however, excluded from acquisition by GMADA, when the owners filed objections. But, the petitioner said that the SGPC did not even file objection to the notice of section 4 and section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act that proves foul play on the part of SGPC.
He also submitted that a number of protests were raised by the public against the acquisition of gurdwara land and memorandum was also sent to the state chief minister but to no avail.
Though the petitioner also raised objection on shifting control of gurdwara Amb Sahib directly to SGPC through a notification in 2003 but he was directed by the court to file a separate case in this regard. The gurdwara was managed by the local committee, under Section 87 of the Gurdwara Act before it was handed over to SGPC in year 2003.
Source: HT
