S.A.S. Nagar: Senior Congress leader and former Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu has strongly criticised the Punjab Mandi Board’s decision to sell the ultra-modern vegetable and fruit market spread over 12 acres in Phase 11, Mohali, to PUDA. He termed the move “absurd and a betrayal of people” and asserted that the Congress party will oppose it at every level to ensure the proposal is cancelled.Mr. Sidhu highlighted that the shops in this market were auctioned just last year, and the businessmen who purchased them have already begun their operations. He pointed out that the Mandi Board now intends to refund the shopkeepers’ money with 6% interest and transfer the entire property to PUDA at the collector rate. If implemented, this move would severely disrupt the businesses of traders, farmers, and labourers operating in the market.
The former minister also noted that this decision violates the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, which mandates that land not used for its originally intended project must be returned to the original owners.
Mr. Sidhu accused the Bhagwant Mann government of attempting to meet its expenses by “looting state properties reserved for future development at throwaway prices.” He further stated that the government has already sought Rs 2,500 crore from the Housing and Urban Development Department and is now seeking an additional Rs 1,000 crore from GMADA. The government’s method of transferring departmental properties to PUDA and pocketing a major portion of the proceeds is an easy way to raise funds at the expense of public interest.
Concluding, Mr. Sidhu reaffirmed that the Congress party will not allow this betrayal of people to be implemented under any circumstances and will take all possible measures, including legal action, to stop it.