Township launch draws flak

LUDHIANA: The Shiromani Akali Dal, which always protested against the residential and other such projects that came up during the Congress party rule in the state, turned a different hue on Tuesday when chief minister Prakash Singh Badal inaugurated a 100-acre township owned by a former cabinet colleague of his, Jagdish Garcha.
Congress MLA Jaspal Singh Khangura had raised questions regarding the construction and asked how the advertisements for sale of township plots could have been released even before the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) approved the project.
He had also sought a CBI inquiry in the matter in a press release issued on Monday.
Khangura had alleged that Badal was scheduled to inaugurate the township on September 18 despite the fact that it was not approved.
Subsequently, the inauguration was postponed till September 22. He added that the license for the township, which was to be granted by the government, came in less than a week after the application?s submission.
He said this had become possible because Garcha and Badal were close and added that it would not have been possible under normal circumstances.
Khangura said the license took many months to arrive under ordinary circumstances. However, Badal said there was nothing wrong in the quick issuance of the license as it showed the efficiency of the governmental
machinery.
He added that anyone interested in procuring the license could approach him and get it within three days.
He further added these were small matters that did not need to be dealt with in such a way. The CM had arrived at the venue of inauguration near Lalton village at 10.30am on Tuesday and said prayers in the company of Garcha���s family.
The township has been constructed by Singla Enclave Developers Private Limited.